A lapdancing club that provoked outrage in a town is set to reopen tomorrow as a drinking venue.

Shaylers, which opened at the end of November, announced this week on its official Twitter account that it would be relaunching on Friday as a nightclub with no dancers.

And a spokesman for Central Beds Council confirmed the venue informed the authority that it is no longer a lapdancing club.

On its new Facebook page it said: “Opening our doors from this Friday as a club, the new and best place to be. £5 enterance all night. £3 shots. £4 bottles. Last enterance 12:30am.”

Despite the new move angry residents and councillors are still set to oppose the club’s application to extend its op ening hours.

Controversial Shaylers, based in Church Street, Ampthill, will no longer be a lapdancing club and will be opening as a normal nightclub from tomorrow evening.

Owner John Shayler has also applied to extend the opening hours to 4am, and this is set to be discussed at a licensing hearing on Thursday (March 7).

But deputy mayor and Central Beds Councillor Paul Duckett says residents living in Ampthill town centre have “had enough”.

He said: “I will their be opposing this on the grounds that it is a residential area and the residents of that area have had enough. Nowhere else is open at that time in Ampthill, and he should be closing in line with the other pubs.

“Residents have been subjected to years of nuisance and noise from other late-night venues. Their quality of life has dramatically improved since the White Hart lost its late licence, and we don’t want to go back to the situation we had before.”

The opening of Shaylers sparked huge opposition in the town when Mr Shayler announced his plans to open last June, exclusively revealed by our newspaper.

Since then residents campaigned to urge the Central Beds Council to reject the application, but their pleas were ignored.

Hundreds of residents also protested in the town centre to oppose the opening.

The Times & Citizen tried to contact owner John Shayler but he did not return our calls.