A CONTROVERSIAL city bar is having its license reviewed following an application by police.

The EX4 bar, in Fore Street, will once again come under scrutiny before Exeter City Council’s licensing committee.

As previously reported in the Echo, the bar attracted controversy when it was granted a late-night lap-dancing licence.

Police have raised concerns about the use of a back staircase to eject people from the bar’s top-floor lap-dancing club, Eden Lounge. They say the staircase is narrow and leads to an alleyway which could be unsafe.

City councillors will discuss a review of the premises’ licence at the council’s licensing committee on Monday.

Exeter police’s neighbourhood inspector Brent Davison, who has asked for the review, told the Echo: “We asked for a review as we were concerned the back stairway may not always be the safest means to eject people from the premises.

“Our suggestion, having spoken with the licensee and our partners at the city council, will be that the licence is amended so that the licensee and staff assess each situation.

“If ejection is necessary they can then do that by the safest means possible.

“The licence can only be amended through the review process which is why the review has been asked for.”

Ali Anvari, the owner of EX4 and Eden Lounge, has told police and council officers that in the eight weeks since the lap dancing club has been open no one has been ejected from the premises.

He said the club did not expect to have to forcibly eject anyone as the “vast majority of customers behaved appropriately” and would leave voluntarily if asked. Environmental health officers at the city council have raised no concerns about the club’s use of the back stairway.

In a letter to Mr Anvari, environmental officer Lee Staples, said that with the exception of a hazardous drain cover, they had found no other health and safety issues.

He said: “No other health and safety issues were noted in relation to the use of the back staircase and alleyway for the purpose of ejecting patrons from the premises at the request of the manager.”

Insp Davison added: “Our aim is to ensure that we are providing every support and opportunity to licensees to manage their premises to the highest standards.

“The message for licensees is that if you are not abiding by your licence conditions then look out because we will be checking and re-checking.”

No one from Eden Lounge was available for comment.