TWO lap dancers, both stalwarts of the nightlife scene at the now-shuttered White Horse pub in High Wycombe, have expressed their concern for what their future might hold.

The pub on West Wycombe Road, which was particularly favoured by strippers due to its camaraderie and supportive work environment, holds a large part of their heart.

The 100-year-old venue has long stood proudly in West Wycombe Road and is known for hosting Kings of Leon’s first UK gig in 2003, as well as a string of other huge names including Coldplay, Snow Patrol and Seventies punk band, The Damned.

More recently, plans were put forward to bulldoze the historic pub and strip club to build eight two-bedroom flats. The proposal was refused by Buckinghamshire Council due to the proposed development being “out of character” with the surrounding area.

Larissa, who filled the position as an entertainer for eight years, said: "We pride ourselves on it being a friendly place for the girls to work because strip clubs can be bitchy and cliquey and if you're a new dancer going somewhere you're quite often not welcome.

"It's a sh** h*** but it’s my sh** h*** and I'm retiring after this and I'm not going anywhere else because I won't find anywhere like the White Horse."

Larissa draws attention to unique quality that the White Horse possesses, adding: "I don't want to go to the big posh clubs.

"You won't get the customers, you won't get the friendly girls."

Lucinda, another entertainer who worked at the venue part-time during her 11-year career, shares Larissa's concerns about the changing landscape of strip clubs and pubs over the years.

She said: "The number of pubs and clubs has declined in the UK over the last several years but when you're part of a community and seen it from the inside out it's sad."

She also highlighted how regulatory changes in 2009 affected venues offering striptease, pointing to a "massive decline in striptease venues as a whole."

While Lucinda has other options, she acknowledges that the closure of establishments like the White Horse has reduced choices for people working in the industry, saying: "there's other options, less options than there were which isn't great in terms of the working conditions but fortunately, I've got options."

She also pointed out strip clubs tend to get a bad reputation. 

Adding: "Strip clubs tend to be very misunderstood by people outside who have never been in here."