Fury over woman's pole dancing lessons for girls aged nine

A FITNESS instructor has caused outrage by teaching pole dancing classes to children as young as nine.

Poledancing is very sexual Poledancing is very sexual

Laraine Riddell has come under fierce criticism from children’s groups and MPs after she launched the hour-long lessons for nine to 15-year-olds.

The raunchy exercise is more commonly performed in table dancing nightclubs like Stringfellows in London, where scantily-clad women use it to entertain men.

Shaun Kelly, of the charity National Children’s Homes, said the lessons were inappropriate for children because of the overt sexual connotations.

“Pole dancing is an activity usually used for adult entertainment – not an appropriate form of exercise for young children,” said Mr Kelly, the charity’s safeguarding manager.

“Children should be allowed to remain children without being sexualised,” he added, “and there are plenty of alternative ways for them to keep healthy, active and have fun.”

Conservative MP Ann Widdicombe also condemned the £2.50-a-time sessions, saying: “There are other ways to lose weight and become fit which don’t have the connotations of pole-dancing.”

Mrs Riddell said she decided to hold pole dancing classes for children after seeing how popular they have become in America. Yesterday she attempted to defend her decision, claiming she had helped children to lose weight and gain confidence.

“It’s very graceful,” insisted Mrs Riddell, who teaches the classes, called Pole Brats, from her studio in the village of Choppington,  Northumberland.

“When you watch the children swinging round the pole with one leg two inches off the ground, it is better than the adults,” added the 39-year-old.

“Their posture is perfect, their heads are held high and it’s more like gymnastics.

“It’s a fantastic exercise for body strength.”

Mrs Riddell, who teaches up to 25 children at a time, has even given pole dancing tuition to a young child with learning difficulties, to improve her fitness. “Children have no fear,” she continued. “They walk straight up to the 11ft pole and start climbing it.

“They do not know about the stigma attached to pole dancing until someone else puts it into their head.

“I am very against pole dancing in clubs.”

She also justified her position by stressing that she insists her child pupils wear T-shirts, shorts and legwarmers for the lessons, rather than the kind of skimpy outfits usually associated with the activity.

However, Conservative MP David Davies said the classes should be scrapped.

“I would be extremely concerned about letting my own children do this sort of thing,” he said.

“Pole dancing is an activity that one would not normally associate with children and it is not appropriate for them.

“You are sending out a message to children that pole dancing is right.”

The style of dancing has gained a reputation as being a fun alternative to conventional work-outs. In recent years, a

proliferation of classes have been offered at gyms, nightclubs and studios all over Britain.

Interest has been fuelled by celebrities such as Kate Moss, 33, who showed off her pole-dancing skills in a music video.

Even men are taking it up.  Peter Andre, 34, the pop singer husband of glamour model Jordan, 29, recently said he, too, is using it to get in shape.

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