undercover Police officer to tape an illegal male strip show last May has begun in Magistrates' Court.

Rosabelle Eunice Lambert, the Police officer who taped the show at the Spinning Wheel nightclub on May 9, will continue her testimony before Magistrate Edward King today.

Dean Ming, 37, and Troy Rawlins, 35, both of Pembroke, are charged with the stealing and unlawfully assaulting P.c. Lambert. They were represented by lawyers Victoria Pearman and Richard Hector.

Det. Sgt. Craig Morfitt, who personally constructed the handbag used by P.c.

Lambert, which had a hidden camera and tape recorder inside, valued the items at $1,752.

A Sony Z Box believed to be the tape recorder used in the incident was unable to be entered as an exhibit yesterday when neither Det. Sgt. Morfitt, nor P.c.

Lambert could offer any evidence proving it was the same machine.

Det. Sgt. Morfitt admitted that he did not record the serial numbers of the equipment he gave to P.c. Lambert at the time he handed them over to her.

And P.c. Lambert was unable to note any distinguishing features which would prove that the equipment in court was the same machine she was given.

But she gave a detailed account of her experience at the nightclub.

She said Terry Burgess approached her 25 minutes into the show and told her that a video camera was in her bag.

"Ms Burgess demanded to see the contents of my bag,'' she said. "I refused and she insisted, so to prevent a scene I got up to leave.'' P.c. Lambert explained that as she was leaving an announcement was made that there was a video camera in the audience. She said she was unable to get out of the club as Ms Burgess ordered Ming to search her bag.

She said she was pushed up against a wall and struggled with Ming and Rawlins for the bag but was eventually "overcome by male strength''.

Pointing out that she was injured during the incident, P.c. Lambert told the court she suffered bruising to her hands, arm, chest and shoulders and that she broke a fingernail.

The trial is expected to last at least three days as prosecutor Graveney Bannister revealed his intention to bring 12 witnesses to court.