Playboy bunnies to make London comeback

Playboy bunny girls are to return to London after a 25-year absence when the US entertainment company opens a store and a casino-cum-restaurant venue.

Playboy's first European store, part of the Playboy Enterprises entertainment empire, opens on London's main shopping thoroughfare on September14 to sell products varying from its men's magazines to branded cosmetics and lingerie.

Christie Hefner, Playboy Enterprises chief executive, said in an interview she was also in talks with partners about opening a London casino and had already looked at sites.

"I think we'd do extremely well in London with the combination of gaming with entertainment and dining and a club environment," Ms Hefner, the daughter of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, said in a telephone interview.

While Playboy Enterprises is waiting for clarity on Britain's changing casino licensing laws, it could open a casino next year complete with a staff of bunny girls - young women in tight corsets, high heels and bunny ears.

Playboy casinos had a starring role in London's swinging 60s, and its Playboy club on Park Lane was the most profitable casino in the world at the time. The venues remained open until 1981, when the government revoked their gambling licences.

Playboy's first European store, where it aims to sell fans sexy "Playboy lifestyle" products, will open in a five-storey building on London's bustling Oxford Street.