LOCAL residents are up in arms over a private sex club’s application for a licence to serve alcohol until the early hours of the morning.

Over a dozen neighbours living near the historic Croydon Hall, in the Brendon Hills near Rodhuish, are urging Somerset West and Taunton Council’s licensing committee not to grant the club, described as “a Disney World for adults”, a 3am drinks licence.

The application will be heard at Williton council offices on Monday (April 29) after talks between the club and neighbours, aimed at finding an agreement, broke down.

Objectors claim that the traffic and noise that the Exclusively Silks group sex and swingers’ parties already generates is ruining the quality of rural life.

Croydon Hall owner Allen McCloud originally applied to extend his existing 12pm licence for drink, music and late night refreshment to 4am, but changed it to 3am after discussions with Avon and Somerset police.

As exclusively revealed by the Free Press, the £80-a-night private club, which opened in February, has themed “playrooms” to cater for a wide range of sexual tastes and activities.

The committee will be told that the hotel is currently being investigated by Exmoor National Park Authority planners over whether running a sex club has breached its planning permission.

Mr McCloud said at the Exclusively Silks launch: “We have taken legal advice to make sure that what we do is 100 per cent legal. There is certainly a demand for a well-run swingers’ club in this area.

“We intend to run a very strictly-controlled organisation – the last thing we want is to cause problems in this peaceful and beautiful environment.

“Membership is carefully controlled and members are fully vetted.”

Full report in today’s Free Press.