CCTV footage has emerged of Hampstead and Kilburn’s Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate receiving a lap dance at a strip club in east London.

The footage, published by the Daily Mail, shows a naked lap dancer performing for Maajid Nawaz in a private room on July 9 last year.

The Mail reports that Mr Nawaz, who is described as an “advocate of women’s rights”, attempted to touch the lap dancer’s arms and thighs, which is against the venue’s policy.

Jay Shah, manager of the strip club, reportedly told the Mail Mr Nawaz was “very drunk” and bouncers threatened to throw him out several times.

Abdul Malik, the club’s owner, said he wants the video to be seen by the public as Mr Nawaz acts like a “spokesman for Islam” but visited the club during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

“He’s always talking about religion on TV and I thought, ‘What a hypocrite’,” said Mr Malik.

A spokesman for Mr Nawaz said he denied touching the dancer “inappropriately” and added that his reputation for advocating women’s rights was “in the context of Islamic extremism”.

He said he had not been warned about his behaviour, and was not “out of control” through drink or breaching the rules.

The spokesman added: “The evening you refer to was our client’s stag night before his marriage. His best man took him to the gentleman’s club with the full knowledge of our client’s then future wife (now his wife).”

Last night, Mr Nawaz posted a link to the Daily Mail story on Twitter and wrote: “Yes, I can confirm that last summer I had a stag night”.

YouTube has since removed the CCTV footage of Mr Nawaz in the strip club from its site.