A lapdancing club is to ask for a licence to stage nude stripping.

In the past week, two clubs have applied to Brighton and Hove City Council for permission for their dancers to take all their clothes off.

The first was refused and the second, its sister club, withdrew its application at the last minute.

Now Club 52, a new venue in North Street, Brighton, is trying its luck.

The club, in the old premises of Planet 24, will ask Brighton and Hove City Council's licensing committee on Friday to allow naked dancers.

It also wants customers to be able to enter without an advance application and it has applied for a licence to stage other kinds of club events.

The application is being strongly opposed by police, who believe it would attract people who might cause trouble in the city centre.

Police also opposed the application by the Pussycat Club in Church Road, Hove, which was turned down on Friday.

An application by the Pussycat's sister club Top Totty in Grand Parade, Brighton, was withdrawn by the owner.

Inspector Bill Whitehead said the new application was fraught with dangers.

He said: "It is a very bad idea because it is much more of a city centre location than the other two clubs.

"Our concern is that stag nights and rowdy groups of men will want to go there.

"What we object to is the full nude dance because we feel it will drag more people into the city for crime and disorder and there is concern about sexual crime related to it."

He said police also objected to the idea of having no membership policy and running a mixed venue with other kinds of events.

"We feel the whole thing is fraught with dangers. Either you are a mainstream club and you offer the occasional evening of mild titillation, or you are an established lap dancing club. We have raised formal objections."

Ken McGrath, owner of Top Totty and Pussycat, said he felt he would have won a court appeal against the council's decision but he wished to maintain good relations with the community and the police.

He said: "At the moment Brighton's not ready for it. Our job is to fit in with Brighton because we all live here and we are part of the community."