Anger over sex shop window display

Shoppers could be greeted with displays of saucy underwear under a Wednesbury sex shop's new plans.

Nice 'n' Naughty currently has blacked out windows but boss Richard Allmark wants to decorate it with lingerie instead. The retail manager has applied to Sandwell Council for the changes to the Lower High Street shop which he hopes will draw in more customers.

He also wants to banish the image of the "stereotypical sex shop of yesteryear". But the application, which has been submitted to the council's licensing committee, has drawn criticism.

Town councillor Elaine Costigan said the town was not the right place for such a sexy display and said she would be objecting to the proposal. "What will all the older people say? This isn't right at all, I'll certainly be sending a letter of objection," she said.

"People don't want to walk through the High Street and see women's underwear on display.

"Wednesbury is an old town, it's a nice place to live and I genuinely think people would be annoyed if it got the go-ahead."

She added: "At the moment it's all blacked out so I expect some people don't even know it's there.

"This sort of thing belongs in the cities."

In a letter to the planning committee, Mr Allmark said: "The windows are all very tasteful, have nothing displayed that is offensive and would make the store far more appealing."

He added that the rest of the shop would be blocked off so passers-by would not be able to see inside.

It is not the first sex shop to ask for permission to open up its window display to the general public. In February, the Simply Pleasure sex shop in Bull Street, West Bromwich, was granted permission to remove their blacked out window to reveal "undies and frillies".

The application will be heard at the meeting of the Licensing Committee next Tuesday.