BEHIND the blinds of a house in a quiet street in Runcorn you can find a growing band of women shedding their inhibitions and those extra pounds thanks to the help of Deb Riley.

She is teaching pole dancing to women who want to shape up, build confidence or even surprise their partner.

The craze for pole dancing classes has been growing in this country, with a number of dedicated companies launching classes for women who want to try it out, and Deb has set up the one-to-one sessions for women in her own studio.

She became interested in pole dancing after attending a class with a friend in Birmingham.

She said: "I got hooked and within two days I'd bought a pole and DVDs.

"To start with it was just a bit of fun but I've started doing it more seriously."

But is it all saucy moves or a proper work out?

Curious to find out what all the fuss is about, I volunteered to give a pole dancing class a whirl.

After a warm up, I practised walking around the pole.

Easy, you might think, but no, it's such hard work trying to get all the way around the pole in just one step, not forgetting making it look graceful as well while the spinning pole decides to get ahead of you, leaving your hand miles ahead of the rest of your body.

I decided to stick to two steps around the pole - it was slightly easier.

On to the next move, a 'simple' chair lift, although my heart sinks the second I see Deb grabbing the pole with just her arms and spinning round with ease.

My upper body strength is pitiful and I can just about manage to hold a couple of carrier bags, never mind hoist my entire body weight off the ground for more than two seconds.

I put faith in my weakling arms to at least make a respectable attempt to keep me airborne but to no avail, and promptly came crashing back to earth with a thump.

So far, not so good.

Then I started to learn the beginnings of a routine with some deft shimmying around the pole (easy enough) that lead me into the first lift.

At least this time I could use my thighs to grab on to the pole, which I did for dear life.

This time I was a little more successful and just about managed to stay on the pole long enough to attempt a pose with one leg pointed up in the air.

I spent the rest of the session trying out a range of moves including some saucy body rolls and a backwards lift using the back of my knee to hold on to the pole, which all linked up in a nifty routine.

By the end of the hour, I was feeling exhausted but pleased that my arms held out to the end.

When the session finished, I found myself wanting to carry on to try to perfect my moves, and I can see why women can't get enough of it once they start.

Friction burns on your thighs can be uncomfortable, but they soon subside, and expect a few bruises and very achy muscles after the session.

To find out more about pole dancing classes, contact Deb on 01928 500483.

vicki.stockman@guardiangrp.co.uk