The death of an English dancer at a Melbourne strip club is being investigated by police after her body was found up to 12 hours after she died.
The body of Stacey Tierney, 29, was discovered in Dreams Gentlemen's Club at 11.50am on Monday, December 19.
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English dancer found dead in Melbourne strip club
The body of Stacey Tierney was discovered at Dreams Gentlemen's Club in Melbourneâs CBD.
The fitness instructor from Manchester had been working at the Elizabeth Street club and had been partying with several men who fled after she died on Sunday.
While the exact circumstances of the death remain unclear, it's understood Ms Tierney's body was left for up to 12 hours inside the strip club, which is closed to the public on Sundays.
![The English fitness instructor, pictured here at a Melbourne hotel in June last year, had been reportedly working at ...](/web/20170103130918im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/l/0/3/f/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtl006.png/1483445476527.jpg)
The homicide squad was initially notified, but the death is now being investigated by Melbourne crime investigation unit detectives.
A post-mortem is being conducted, including a toxicology test, and the coroner will determine the cause of death.
While the club updated their Facebook page on Tuesday with a plug for "Sexy Poker Tuesdays", the establishment is yet to make any public statements regarding Ms Tierney's death.
Promoter for the club, Mike Jones, refused to answer questions from Fairfax Media on Tuesday night.
![Stacey Tierney had been travelling and working around Australia.](/web/20170103130918im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/l/0/3/i/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtl006.png/1483445476527.jpg)
"No one is commenting. I'm just telling you that no one is commenting," he said.
The silence from the club has begun to attract criticism, with some taking to Facebook to condemn the establishment for failing to publicly acknowledged Ms Tierney's passing.
![Stacey Tierney, 29, was found dead inside Melbourne strip club Dreams Gentleman's Club on December 19.](/web/20170103130918im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/l/0/3/m/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gtl006.png/1483445476527.jpg)
"Heard the news today and it's absolutely horrible how you guys have continued to trade and not take accountability for what happened to one of your dancers," wrote Amelie Wheeler.
"To the other employees still working at Dreams I hope you find a more safe place to work."
![Stacey Tierney (front of photo) pictured with a friend at St Kilda Festival last year.](/web/20170103130918im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/l/0/3/l/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gtl006.png/1483445476527.jpg)
Some negative posts criticising the club on its Facebook page appear to have been deleted.
Ms Tierney's cousin Colleen told the Manchester Evening News she was a free spirit with a lovely soul.
"We obviously knew how great she was. We were so proud of her and spoke to her all the time," Colleen said.
"She was so fit and loved dancing. She came back for Christmas last year.
"She had been working as a fitness instructor but she decided she was going to reapply and she was accepted back on a student visa."
Ms Tierney had worked at strip clubs interstate, including in Darwin and Brisbane.
Her friends in the industry posted tributes to her on Facebook.
"You were such an awesome person to work with and one of the few genuine people in this world and industry! I hope justice is found asap and these pigs get what's coming," wrote one woman.
"Such a beautiful soul taken way too young! Keep dancing you beautiful thing," wrote another.
Another friend posted this video of Ms Tierney on her birthday. She was due to turn 30 this year later this month.
The family are raising money through a gofundme page to bring her body home. They have raised almost $20,000 so far.