Councilor Kirsty Mellor, deputy leader of the council’s independent group, called it “appalling”.
She said: “The name and theme of this bar seems to encourage negative conversations about violence against women and girls, lead to bullying of women and the normalization of a culture where such violence is seen as socially acceptable.”
The bar owner said he had “adapted” the venue “for a better experience of our future plans”, which would help “assuage concerns”.
Dan Swan, the owner of Ripper and Co Southsea, said: “Although a lot of emphasis has been placed on the name of the place, the place is not a Jack the Ripper themed bar.
“We are a classic underground horror cocktail bar and restaurant that will create an immersive interactive customer experience that we can’t wait to show people. The characters are all fictitious.
