Tudor Lounge, which is based at the 400-year-old Stratford House in Highgate Credit: BPM
Police are hunting a masked gang who raided a Birmingham swingers club – attacking a man and a woman and sending semi-naked customers fleeing into the street.
Three men targeted Tudor Lounge, which is based at the 400-year-old Stratford House in Highgate, just after 9.30pm last Wednesday.
One 53-year-old man was punched to the ground, while a woman was pushed during the raid at the timber-framed, Grade II listed property – built in 1601 in the reign of Elizabeth I.
The gang fled empty-handed but the raid added to local concerns about the business, which has temporary planning permission as a private members’ club from Birmingham City Council.
In January, Stratford House was converted into a swingers club, complete with a dungeon.
Earlier this month the council told the tenants to carry on swinging after finding that no planning breaches had taken place. But this violent raid has renewed opposition to Tudor Lounge.
Locals are now planning a petition claiming they were not consulted properly about the club, which is close to Calthorpe School grounds, a park and homes.
Stratford House was converted into the swingers club in January Credit: BPM
The building was officially advertised online under the name Tudor Lounge after its current tenants signed a ten-year lease with property owner, Benjamin Jackson, last March.
The city council granted temporary change of use planning permission for ‘the private members meeting venue’ last year and had claimed no complaints had been raised at the time.
Tudor House Credit: BPM
The Tudor Lounge website, featuring pictures of scantily-clad women, has boasted of being the UK’s most exclusive swingers venue.
'The building has been fully refurbished with only one thing in mind – your pleasure and enjoyment', it said.
When previously asked about complaints about the property’s current use, a spokesman for the club said:
