The borough council’s licensing and safety committee has called for a review to take place into the number of sex shops allowed in Shrewsbury.

Currently only one sex shop – The Private Shop in Wyle Cop – can operate in the town centre.

Today the chairman of Shrewsbury Town Residents’ Association  Dr Alan Shrank said he believed that the policy, which has not been changed since 1983, should stay the same.

He said: “My main concern is what the streets look like when you walk through the town.

“The danger with a sex shop is it has to disguise the fact it is one and it gives a very bland frontage.

“My own view is that I’m sad they exist.

“The council is going to have quite a problem if they are going to try and allow more sex shops.

“I think they will disfigure the town centre. My personal view is that they should keep to one sex shop.

“Once they decide they will allow sex shops we could have a proliferation of them – one on every street or even more which would be wrong for the image of our town.”

Dr Shrank said he thought the current policy was sensible.

He said: “There’s a facility for those who require it and it’s not all over. I hope the council sees it the same way.

“Our association will discuss the matter on Tuesday and decide to issue our view to the authorities.”

Licensing committee member Councillor Vernon Bushell, who objected to a sex shop in Harlescott, which was allowed to operate without a licence because of a legal loophole last year, said: “I think in view of the various views of the committee, we should have a report and take it from there.”

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