THE owner of the first pole dancing studio in the Ribble Valley is looking to move into the centre of Clitheroe.

Dance Finesse Ltd is based in Waddington, but owner Serena Smith, 26, has made an offer for a new studio space in Green Acre Street.

The former Ribblesdale High School pupil, who has lived in the town all her life, set up the business in May 2010, only months after taking up the sport.

If the move goes ahead, it would see Clitheroe gaining its first pole dancing studio.

Serena said: “The business is currently based at Backridge Farm, but its first home was Roefield Leisure Centre.

“I’m busy all the time with classes, and people come from all across Lancashire to take part which is great.

“The premises I have at the moment are big enough, but it’s very hard to heat effectively, so a move into the centre of Clitheroe would be ideal.

“It would allow me to reach more people, and have a real base in the community.”

Serena is also working to bring pole sports to the Olympics through the Sports Acc-ord programme, and is part of The International Pole Sports Federation and Pole Sports UK.

She said she hoped her potential move into Clitheroe would help to boost the image of the sport.

She said: “Some people have different perceptions of what pole sports are, but it’s a serious sport, and it’s something that more and more people are getting interested in all the time. I’m always getting new people turning up for my class-es, and I hope that my business being in Clitheroe would only continue that.”

Clitheroe resident Cara James, 20, said: “I think it’s a great plan and I hope it happens because it would be a different bus- iness to have in the town.

“There are pole dancing classes around, but no studios and I think that it would raise the profile of the sport.”

Rachel Green, 24, who lives in Clitheroe, said: “If the sale goes through it would be a positive step for Clitheroe because it would show that it’s not just a boring, quiet town as it’s som-etimes portrayed.”