Nice n Naughty is celebrating a ‘four-midable’ success after being named the best in the business by their industry peers for a record fourth year running.

The Chester-based company that has 11 stores across the North West of England, Midlands and Wales was named Retailer of the Year at the Erotic Trade Only Awards – the industry equivalent of the Oscars.

At a glittering Birmingham awards ceremony, Nice n Naughty secured the coveted crown in an unprecedented run of success, beating rivals such as Ann Summers and the Private chain of sex shops – to mark its 9th anniversary in spectacular style.

Delighted company founder, Simon Prescott said the ceremony took place almost to the day since he started the company in 1999 from humble beginnings.

In a double boost Nice n Naughty Wholesale also won best oversees R18 film for Supernatural which is produced by the world’s leading adult movie maker, USA based Wicked Pictures.

Simon emphasised: “We have come a very long as since I started the business with one retail outlet in Chester. Nice n Naughty is a massive success story, built on a very dedicated and committed workforce. Customers can be assured that when they buy from Nice n Naughty they are buying from the best in the business. I am so very very proud of the retail team and would particularly like to thank our National Retail Manager Richard Allmark and his team for their total commitment, support and sheer hard work over the last 12 months. They never cease to amaze me.”

He added: This award is voted for by the industry itself so is extremely gratifying to realise we are so well respected and acknowledged by our peers.

The owner of Galway’s adult cinema continued to elude city council officials this week after efforts to serve notice on the mystery businessman proved repeatedly unsuccessful.

District Court Judge Eamon O’Brien granted Galway City Council solicitor Robert Meehan permission a fortnight ago to have the owner of the Galway city cinema, who was named as John Kelleher, brought before the court on July 17.

Meehan was seeking to have Kelleher give reasons why he should not be imprisoned for contempt of court after he refused to comply with an order issued last month that directed him to close the cinema.

The court order, which was issued on June 4 by Judge Mary Fahy, ordered the Jade Winters sex shop and the adjacent adult cinema to close and remove all signage from its premises after the courts were informed that they were operating without planning permission.

When Kelleher failed to comply with the court order the city council began the proceedings to gain permission to have him brought back before the court for contempt. However, the council was never able to serve notice on Kelleher because they were unable to trace a person by that name within Galway city.

As of Friday the Galway City Council had received no update on the whereabouts of the person in question.

The 24-seat cinema, which was first brought to the attention of officials by Mayor Padraig Conneely in May, is located behind the Jade Winters sex shop in the Liosban Industrial Estate on the Tuam Road.

As of late the shop and the cinema remain open for business.

Licensing chiefs have given the go-ahead for a sex shop to open up in Wellington despite scores of objections to the proposals from town nutters.

Telford & Wrekin Council had received letters of opposition to Nicola Dicken’s bid for a licence to operate a sex shop at 1A Vineyard Road.

But members of the council’s licensing panel today decided to allow Mrs Dicken to open after discussing the issue behind closed doors for nearly two hours.

The shop will only be allowed to open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9.30am to 6pm and Thursdays from 9.30am to 8pm.

No advertisements will be allowed outside the premises apart from the shop name, any goods or displays should be discreet and tasteful, and the interior of the shop should not be visible to passers-by.

Mrs Dicken, who already runs Romeo & Juliet sex shop in Ketley Business Park with her husband, Roger, said she was “over the moon” with the decision.

Mr Dicken said: Telford & Wrekin is obviously a forward-thinking council and they have come to the understanding that licensed sex shops can play a part and do have a place in society.

He told councillors the proposed location was a mixed use area and they had not had any problems when they had operated a sex shop at Trench Lock industrial estate, which was also near homes and a children’s activity centre.

A burglar has been caught on CCTV breaking into a sex shop - to raid shelves and apparently try on the sexy clothes.

The man throws a concrete block through the window of 'sexy superstore' Pulse & Cocktails in Skegness before darting behind the counter.

But instead of heading straight for the till, he pulls stockings and a pink wig from the shelves. He rampages around the shop snatching some naughty knickers off the racks and two pink PVC nurses outfits.

He then goes to the back of the shop with an armful of goods and pulls off his top - seemingly to try them on - before re-emerging and choosing another wig as the shop's alarm rings.

Shop manager Louise Whenman described the incident - which left a bill of £600 - as 'unreal': If only he had come into the shop in the daytime, we could have shown him many more outfits and helped him find the right size.

She added: He would have been devastated - the outfit on the dummy was a small and he would have needed a large.

Police confirmed that they had carried out an investigation and appealed for information. A spokesperson said: We haven't managed to trace the man but the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should call Skegness CID on 01754 614235.

Plans to open a new sex shop in Telford have been met with the inevitable nutter opposition.

Opponents of the bid have sent licensing officials about 50 letters of objection over plans to open a licensed sex shop at 1A Vineyeard Road, Wellington.

Applicant Nicola Dicken, who runs the Romeo and Juliet sex shop at Ketley Business Park with husband Roger, has applied for the licence to operate the shop. The couple are also seeking to renew the licence for their existing store.

Wellington Town Council has voiced its concerns over schoolchildren being in the vicinity of the proposed site, while other objectors have spoken out on moral grounds.

A letter sent to licensing bosses by Wrekin College says the school is “alarmed” at the proposal, adding that it could undermine expensive child protection measures they have implemented.

Another letter of objection reads: This is a nice residential area. We do not want the tone of the neighbourhood lowered by such a business as a sex shop.

Mr Dicken said : The reason we have applied for the shop there is because it’s in a mixed use area which is where sex shops must go under council rules. Many of the objections are on moral grounds, but there is also talk of schools and children being nearby. There are schools and children throughout society. If you look at Shrewsbury, there has been a sex shop across the river from the Wakeman School for years. Under-18s will not be allowed into our shop.

Members of Telford & Wrekin Council’s licensing committee will decide on the application on July 21.

The Temptations sex shop in Halifax has been operating since 2004 and, despite a letter of objection from Ibrar Hussain claiming it promoted evil and wrongdoing in the town centre, Calderdale Council voted to renew its licence.

A supposed 130 letters of objection were submitted to Calderdale Council about the shop being offensive and provocative. But the meeting was told that only one letter was proven to come from a genuine source.

The newly-elected Mohammed Ilyas (No So Lib Dem) was the only one of 15 councillors at the meeting who voted against the shop, on the grounds it corrupted the youth of Halifax.

Danielle Coombs (Lab, Ovenden), said: If you want to see our young people being corrupted, look at them falling out of our local pubs. Are we really going to ruin someone's business over this?"

A motion condemning the opening of "an adult sex shop" in Killarney and seeking to bar all other such businesses from the tourist town has been overwhelmingly passed by town councillors.

Although the motion mentioned opposing a specific shop in Glebe Place, Killarney, Co Kerry, it is now council policy to exclude sex shops from new retail units and this will be included in the new town development plan.

The new draft development plan for Killarney now lists adult shops, taxi offices and takeaway food outlets as non-conforming retail developments.

South Kerry Independent Alliance councillor Michael Gleeson said he feared the morality of young people would be affected by a visit to a sex shop as the young people of Killarney would go there out of curiosity. Sex shops would also be visited by some people of "dubious character", he noted.

Only one of the nine Killarney town councillors, Labour Party member Seán O'Grady voted against the move opposing the opening of a sex shop. O'Grady said sex shops were aimed at adults. Nobody is proposing that we close down pubs because they are frequented by young people.

Plans for a discreet back entrance at a Port Talbot sex shop have been blocked by the council.

Simon Sternchuss, owner of the Secret Desires store in Taibach, applied to change the name of the store to “licensed sex shop” was also refused by Neath Port Talbot Council’s registration and licensing committee.

Tracy Richards, manager of Sternschuss’s store in Cardiff, represented him at the June 24 meeting, in his absence. She said: If we have a fire exit – we thought we would use it as a discreet entrance for our customers as well. It would be the same as the front entrance, with a buzzer system so we wouldn’t let anyone underage in. We have a back entrance at the Cardiff store, which 80% of our customers use.

Chairman of the committee, Ted Latham, said: We have received letters of complaint from a local councillor, who is concerned about the changes in the licence, especially changing its name to ‘sex shop’. We have refused to allow the name to be changed as there is no evidence of people being confused as to what it is.

Member of the committee, Coun Marian Lewis, said: I find it very hard to believe that people do not know what it is. To change the name would offend a lot of people - there are a lot of children and elderly people in the area.

The application to have a fire exit was approved, but using it as a back entrance for customers was rejected.

Miss Richards said an appeal would be lodged on behalf of the Secret Desires shop.

A letter of objection from Taibach councillor Anthony Taylor read:

I am writing to formally object to the proposal before the Registration & Licensing Committee on Tuesday, 24 June 2008 to use the phrase “Licensed Sex Shop” on the front of Secret Desires, Commercial Road, Taibach, Port Talbot.

In an age, when youngsters are being exposed to sex at an earlier stage in their lives, I, and my ward colleague, Coun John Rogers, strongly believe that this application would be a step in the wrong direction.

The signage already in place at Secret Desires makes it perfectly obvious to those who wish to take advantage of its products that it is an adult shop.

It informs prospective customers simply and without confusion whilst at the same time is as discreet as could be expected in the circumstances. The very term “adult shop” is easily understood by over 18s, whilst at the same time can be explained away to young children who may start asking questions about its activities. The use of the word “sex” on the shop front cannot.

Adult retailer Nice ‘n’ Naughty is bringing a whole new meaning to ‘Sex Education’ after four members of staff achieved university degrees, which further illustrates the changing face of the UK’s licensed sex shop industry.

To mark their achievements they are all being sent on a free two-week holiday to Egypt, courtesy of kind-hearted boss Simon Prescott!

Thomas Buggins from the chain’s Seel Street store in Liverpool has joined Julia Taylor from the High Street shop in Bangor, Louise Jones from Brook Street, Chester and Richard Tandy from an outlet in London Street, Southport in a quadruple graduation success.

As reward for their success Store Director Simon is planning a special celebratory dinner with commemorative gifts and is also sending them on a memorable holiday: I am really proud of all of them and want to recognise their dedication and commitment. We have tried to support them from day one and now they have completed their studies I want them to celebrate in style.

Simon continued: Nice ‘n’ Naughty provided financial help where necessary to cover the cost of books and other learning materials as not all of them qualified for grants or student loans. On occasions some found juggling the costs of living with increasing fuel, energy and food costs difficult to balance whilst being a part time student.

Simon highlighted that adult retail staff are not what people necessarily perceive them to be. They are highly intelligent, dedicated professionals who can combine productive careers whilst studying to achieve some of the highest qualifications available. I suppose you could say this brings a whole new meaning to sex education!”

A sex book shop is closing down due to the high costs of provocative advertising and a drop in interest from the community.

Soho Original Bookshop has held its spot in Kilburn High Road, for four years but blames plummeting sales partly on not being allowed to showcase raunchy material or neon lights in the main shop window for so long.

Antony Alghabban, the store's general manager, said: Restrictions on the signs definitely made bringing in customers harder. If you can't tell people on the street what your business is then that's not going to get them in. I don't think people in Kilburn are particularly against these sorts of shops, it's just the licensing is so expensive.

Businesses selling sexually explicit material are required by law to pay a £9,000 levy for their Sex Establishment License.

The shop's four staff will be relocated to other stores after the closure date in a couple of months' time.

Nice n Naughty Ltd will be the first adult retail store short listed to win an “Award for Business” at a glittering gala in Warrington, Cheshire.

The prestigious Warrington Business Awards is now in its ninth year and Nice n Naughty have been short listed to the final 2 for the “Buisness of the Year” Award for Nice n Naughty’s Warrington flagship store, out of approximately 1000 businesses in the catchment area.

Nice n Naughty had to meet a stringent criteria, which included providing quality throughout the organisation’s structure, strong communications, and good employee/employer relations; all of which were highlighted when Nice n Naughty successfully retained their ‘Investors In People’ Status at their recent re-assessment earlier this year.

The glittering gala dinner evening is being held at the prestigious Park Royal Hotel, Stretton, Warrington on Friday, July 18, 2008.

Philip Price, Regional Manager for the Warrington store added It is a great achievement, for both Nice n Naughty as a company, but also the staff within the Warrington branch. What this shows is the commitment and dedication of the company to change the perceived concept of the adult retail industry.

The adult industry has been on the High Street for many years, and to be recognized alongside all other businesses is a great achievement. As a company, Nice n Naughty have gained numerous awards through the adult industry, but to know that you are finally accepted alongside other companies in a mainstream award ceremony is a reflection on the Nice n Naughty ethos, knowing that through dedication and commitment, we are changing peoples perception of the adult retail industry.

Nice 'n' Naughty were  successful in their bid for an open window display for their Wednesbury sex shop.

They applied over three months ago to Sandwell Council. They were invited to attend a special committee meeting after objections were received from local councillors for the Wednesbury area.

Nice 'n' Naughty has made headline news in the local paper: ‘ANGER OVER SEX SHOP WINDOW DISPLAY PLAN’, with comments from Councillor Elaine Costigan saying that Wednesbury was not the place for such a sexy display’ and ‘people don’t want to walk through the High Street and see women’s underwear on display.

The newspaper article resulted in the local radio station, interviewing people in the street outside the shop asking for their opinions on the morning of the hearing.

Richard Allmark and Trish Murray attended the meeting and presented their case to a 10 strong committee to convince them that there weren't going to be dancing dildos in the window. After a 40 minute hearing they were finally granted permission to have a display.

An hour after receiving the permission, Richard and store manager Lee Hickman organised a window display with a banner display stand and lingerie.

Looks good.

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 inevitable nutter 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

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.

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.

The application will be heard at the meeting of the Licensing Committee on Tuesday 17th June.

A sex shop operating from a former Teesside car showroom has won a key round in its legal fight to stay in its premises - claimed to be the region’s joint largest adult superstore.

The owner of Pulse and Cocktails, based at a former Suzuki car dealership, won the right to appeal against a ruling that it must seek full planning permission to stay. Lord Justice Mummery ruled Cocktails Ltd has a “real prospect of success” on its claim.

If successful at a full appeal hearing, the company will be free to carry on running its store.

Cocktails applied to Redcar and Cleveland Council for a “certificate of lawful use” which meant it could use the site without getting full planning permission. It took the view that the site was previously used for the sale of motor vehicles, and so it was entitled to retail use.

While the council issued a separate licence for it to operate as a sex shop, its planners turned down planning consent - a move later backed by a Government inspector.

The inspector agreed with the council that the planning permission, granted in 1997, was for a mixed use - partly sale and display of cars, and partly vehicle repairs. He said the change of use to a “Sexy Superstore” could not be approved without an application.

Cocktails was defeated again when it challenged that decision at the High Court earlier this year. Now Lord Justice Mummery has given the company the go-ahead to take the matter to London’s Court of Appeal.

While the judge said that some neighbours on the industrial estate might not want a sex shop next door, Cocktails’ lawyer Tim Buley told him that was “irrelevant” for the question of planning law concerned. For deciding that point, he said: There is no difference between a sex shop and a fruit shop.

A second attempt to open a sex shop in a south Norfolk village has been refused by a planning committee.

Christopher Bottrell, who has a sex establishment license for premises on the Cloverfield Industrial Estate in East Harling, wanted to turn part of his current wholesale and mail order business into a shop.

But Breckland Council planning committee members rejected the application for nonsense reasons including the fact that the industrial estate was not suitable for retail use and would set a precedent that could take trade away from the village.

Breckland Council planning officials had said that while the moral and social concerns were acknowledged, the issues were not controlled through the planning system. They recommended the application for approval.

Harling Parish Council has objected to the application, stating they believe it could attract anti-social behaviour and increased traffic. Some residents have also objected, stating it is neither wanted nor needed.

Bottrell had a similar application rejected earlier this year.

The operator of two cinemas showing adult movies, was ordered to close them for non-compliance with planning regulations, when the matter came before Galway District Court on Wednesday.

Businessman John Kellegher, who operates Jade Winters sex shop in Liosban Industrial Estate, was not represented or in court to hear Galway City Council’s case against him.

Solicitor for the local authority, Robert Meehan, said he had been notified that the matter would not be contested.

Enforcement officer, Michéal Duffy, gave evidence that when the building was first inspected last August half of the premises, which is meant to be used for retail use only, was found to have two cinemas, a 12 and 9 seater, as well as video booths and private rooms. There was also unauthorised illuminated signage to the front.

Life is about to get a little tamer for the Rampant Rabbit. The best-known sex toy could find itself relegated to a quieter corner of Ann Summers shops as the retailer tones down its image in an attempt to move upmarket.

The chain plans to distance itself from its more exotic merchandise and focus on luxury lingerie in an attempt to widen the customer base and bring in more couples.

Jacqueline Gold, the chief executive, said: I don't want sex toys in the front half of stores. We have families walking past. We're not looking to shock or upset people. Ms Gold will unveil the radical shift in the brand's outlook when opening Ann Summers's newly refurbished flagship store on Oxford Street, London, on Friday.

The pleasure goods will be relegated to the lower floor while customers will find only underwear, in a distinctly more sober guise, on the ground floor.

In the remaining stores nationwide, the sex toys and other accessories that have made the Ann Summers name will be moved to the back.

Sex toys will not feature in any window displays. Ms Gold said: The new concept will be much more luxurious and glamorous. Before it felt more clinical, old-fashioned. Now it is softer, with a boudoir feel.

Figures filed at Companies House last year showed that Ann Summers's pre-tax profits in 2006 halved to £1.5million amid greater competition from Boots and Superdrug, which stocked a limited range of sex toys.

Matthew Smith will ask councillors to vary a condition to allow him to brighten up the front of his Hidden Assets sex shop in Southampton.

The city's four sex shops have previously been restricted to screened windows and discreet brown signage.

But Mr Smith wants to change his shop colours to navy blue with silver lettering to distinguish it from A Taste of Amsterdam, the sex shop next door.

He also wants to introduce a "fully enclosed" illuminated display of "tasteful lingerie" in the window: It is only high street style clothing that would be used for this display, not any of the more risqué items which may raise eyebrows or cause any sort of embarrassment, he said.

But nutters say the display will encourage teenagers to gather who could intimidate residents using the nearby shops and walking by a night. One said it was contrary to the prevention of crime and would compromise public safety. Another was worried the lingerie would introduce unwitting customers to "extreme products and R18 videos".

The issue will be decided when six councillors hear annual licence renewal applications for all four of Southampton's sex shops on Wednesday.

They include Smith's other shop, Hidden Desires, in St Mary's Street, an application by Darker Enterprises to renew its licence for the Private Shop in Above Bar Street, and one by Martin Castle for A Taste of Amsterdam in Millbrook Road West.

Objections were also made to the council over the latter two.

Adult store Nice ‘n’ Naughty is celebrating a breakthrough in reducing sex shop licence fees at some of its stores and is now offering other retailers a helping hand to do the same.

Richard Allmark, Nice ‘n’ Naughty’s national retail manager, said the 11-strong chain, one of the fastest growing in the UK, has already achieved 25% reductions in licence renewal fees and is pressing for further cuts of up to 80%.

It really comes down to being brave enough to mount a challenge and presenting your case in the right way. We’ve written to council’s asking them to justify the increases. So far authorities in half of the areas in which we operate have agreed to reconsider and reduce the fees, he said.

Nice ‘n’ Naughty campaigned and successfully reduced the renewal fee from £5,400 to £4,500 at its store in Wednesbury in the West Midlands.

And in Bangor, Gwynedd, after a three-year battle with the local authority to get the store licensed Nice ‘n’ Naughty have also negotiated the renewal fee downwards from £2,820 to £1,450.

I think it’s important that all members of the Adult Industry Trade Association continue to lobby hard for licensing committees to reconsider the fees levied on sex shops.

If we at Nice ‘n’ Naughty can help other retailers achieve reductions we are happy to do so. I can make available templates of the letters we’ve used to negotiate with local authorities. All people need to do is e-mail me. I’m also happy to offer any advice we’ve picked up from challenging these charges, added Richard.

To contact Richard e-mail: richard@nicennaughty.co.uk

Nominations have been published for the Erotic Trade Only Awards.

As one might expect, most awards are for adult industry traders but here are the nominations that may be of interest to consumers.

Nice ‘n’ Naughty’s domination of the British adult retail market will be put to the test again at the 2008 ETO Awards in July.

The company has landed the Best Retailer Oscar three years on the bounce.

This year, Nice N Naughty have again been shortlisted in the top 5 retailers

Nice ‘n’ Naughty director (Simon Prescott) is confident his team can retain their crown: It’s been a tough challenging year for Nice ‘n’ Naughty but we’ve lost none of our appetite for success. That’s why we want the Retailer of the Year award for an unprecedented four years running.

Trish Murray, Retail Director had this to say: The hardworking retail team at Nice N Naughty deserve recognition of their efforts and it would keep team morale up knowing their peers have voted for them.

Nice ‘n’ Naughty have also been nominated as ETO’s Best R18 DVD Wholesaler of the Year and in partnership with Wicked Pictures Best Overseas Film Brand.

As we move into our 2nd year of distributing the Vouyer Media brand we anticipate an extremely busy remainder of 2008 leading into 2009 with the release of many new titles under this well established and highly acclaimed multiple award winning brand, Simon said.

ETO said: Wicked can thank its UK distributor Nice ‘n’ Naughty Wholesale for making great efforts to promote the brand on these shores. Standout Wicked titles include Supernatural, Manhunters, which have both been nominated this year, and Fuck.

With Supernatural already winning ETO’s film of month hopes are high it can land the overall Best Overseas film at the awards on July 27. ETO already described the film as “head and shoulders above your average porno. It adds a degree of emotional charge to what are already cracking sex scenes.

Of Manhunters, ETO said: Wicked Pictures’ three disc epic is one of the most elaborately packaged porn DVDs on the market and Nice ‘n’ Naughty Wholesale should be applauded for maintaining the US version’s look and feel. This is a movie that demands attention.

Entrepreneur Tony Ibrahim has bought the Little Chef at Guyhirn and plans to turns it into Cambridgeshire’s biggest sex shop.

Ibrahim has previous experience of running a sex shop since until two years ago he ran a small adult only shop at the rear of a service station at Thorney Toll.

To be honest we ran an adult shop for three years and never had one single problem, he told the Standard. We had more problems with people driving off without paying for their petrol, smashing canopies or breaking in at nights. The huff and puff over our adult shop at Thorney was one person in the village- who ended up being our best customer anyway!

He hopes to open within a month and the sex shop will cover both ground and first floors. The store will be known as Kiss Kiss.

However his purchase of the A47 site has prompted the resignation of a parish councillor who said he quit after failing to persuade fellow councillors to join his protest.

Paul Carpenter says he has had enough after a year serving as a member of Wisbech St Mary Parish Council.Fearing Guyhirn will be known as the sex capital of Fenland he has enlisted the help of an action group to stop the shop going ahead.

Ibrahim said Fenland Council’s attitude to business was changing, and he applauded their support for local enterprise: Why shouldn’t people spend their money on what they want locally.

Comments may be sent to Fenland District Council until 19th May.

Update: Protest Meeting

23rd May 2008

Around 90 irate nutters packed Guyhirn village hall to protest against plans to open the county's largest sex shop at the former Little Chef on the A47.

The meeting was chaired by local councillor Phil Wait and was attended by developer Tony Ibrahim.

Villagers are said to be 'hugely concerned' the enterprise will cause house prices to drop and will put off new people moving to Guyhirn. They also fear it will give the wrong impression of Fenland to drivers passing by on the A47. There are also concerns the store's signage and external paintwork will be distracting to drivers and could lead to accidents.

Wait said there are now plans for a second meeting when it is hoped Fenland Council officers will attend to listen to the locals' viewpoint. He said those who attended were urged to put their opposition in writing to the district council before June 11.

Update: Call to Resign

27th May 2008 from Fenland Citizen

Sex shop businessman Tony Ibrahim is calling for a town council clerk to resign amid claims the clerk, Erbie Murat, launched a personal attack on him in an email sent out from the council's computer.

Ibrahim says he is taking legal action against Wisbech Town Clerk Murat, claiming remarks made by him in the email were libellous.

Murat has furiously denied the email - sent out to various councillors and council officials, raising objections against plans by Ibrahim to open a sex shop at Guyhirn - was personal.

Ibrahim has approached Wisbech Mayor Jonathan Farmer, calling on him to take action against Murat. He believes Murat should be disciplined for using the council's email address to send out his letter of objection and would like to see him resign.

David Oliver, former Mayor and town council leader, said he had spoken to Murat and he had been reprimanded for using the council's computer. But he said: It is a personal email, it is not from Wisbech Town Council and it is not inferred anywhere that is from Wisbech Town Council.

Update: The Letter

2nd June 2008

Murat included scathing comments about Mr Ibrahim's family, finances, ethnicity and children's schooling in his objection to the plans for the former Little Chef near the A47.

Shortly after receiving a copy of the offending letter - on official Wisbech Town Council headed paper - Mr Ibrahim's wife Sheniz passed a copy to police and her family lawyers.

However, in a fresh letter to Fenland District Council's licensing department, Murat said: I apologise to Mrs Ibrahim for any distress I may have caused her by my previous letter.

My understanding was that she was part of the application on the basis that she would benefit from the operation of the sex shop and, therefore, she should form part of the determination of whether the applicant is suitable to hold a licence. I did, however, act precipitously and included material that I had not intended, and I again apologise to Mrs Ibrahim.

But the fact remains that she is supporting her husband's application for opening a sex shop in a location that puts children and young people, in my opinion, seriously at risk and certainly at much greater risk that they now endure.

Business and community leaders asked Nice ‘n’ Naughty to put together a striking window display as part of the Chester’s Smile Campaign.

Store manager Claudine Thelwell and colleague Louise Jones, responded in style creating a cheeky Adam and Eve theme for the shop front in Brook Street, Chester, close to the city’s main railway station.

Nice ‘n’ Naughty director Simon Prescott said he’d been delighted to be a part of the marketing campaign, which also involved well-known mainstream retailers: It wasn’t that long ago that we were having to fight to have window displays in our stores. To be invited by a partnership of community organisations to be involved in their tourism plans is a real breakthrough for our industry. It demonstrates that it is possible to break down some of the myths and taboos surrounding adult retailers.

Simon added: “The company is committed to developing public awareness of changes within the adult industry and eliminating the stigma and perceptions associated with adult shops.”

Chester City Management, a partnership of business, education, community and voluntary groups including the police, fire and resident groups, launched the Smile campaign to boost tourism numbers.

A judging panel made up of local dignitaries will be visiting the Nice ‘n’ Naughty store next month to see whether the display is worthy of a prize, presented by celebrity interior designer Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen or top television gardener Diarmund Gavin.

The Galway City Council is to issue legal proceedings against an adult cinema believed to be operating in Liosban without planning permission.

Cllr Padraig Conneely hit out this week at the operation of the cinema at the Jade Winters adult shop in the Liosban Industrial Estate. The cinema, which has been showing hardcore pornographic films in two small cinemas and a number of private booths, was found to have been altered apparently without planning permission when a city council planning inspector visited the premises last November.

The inspector found that half the premises — which has planning permission to operate as a retail outlet — was being used as a cinema, with two large screen cinemas, a 12-seater and a nine-seater, six video booths, and four private rooms, along with additional signage to the front of the premises.

In a report on the inspection a city council planning officer stated that she had been unable to locate any planning permission for the cinema or the signage.

The council issued the company with a warning letter, advising the manager to cease the unauthorised use of the cinema and to remove the additional signage and reinstate the premises to its former condition. An enforcement notice was also subsequently issued to the company.

Cllr Conneely called on the Galway City Council and the Garda to investigate the operation of the cinema when it was brought to his attention at the weekend. The cinema is believed to have been showing a selection of gay and straight sex films throughout the day for a €12 admission fee, with free admission for women.

The case is expected to come before Galway District Court on Wednesday June 4.

A sex shop selling hardcore films, PVC lingerie and adult toys will open for business after council chiefs rubber-stamped the application.

The Pillow Talk store will move into a vacant property in the parade of shops in Rainham Road, Chatham – running adjacent to Chatham Grammar School for Girls.

Medway council’s licensing team backed the adult chain’s application at a meeting on Monday night - despite objections from the usual nutters, the school’s headteacher, neighbouring shopkeepers and residents.

One written complaint said: These premises are barely 100 metres from the ash Tree Lane pedestrian entrance to the school, on a route where a significant proportion of our girls walk past. I feel this is an entirely inappropriate location for such an establishment and that parents and pupils will find it seedy and upsetting.

Pillow Talk owner Alan Butler dismissed the objections and praised the councillors for the handling of his application: It’s great and I’m really pleased. I think it’s a very fair decision and I feel the council handled the meeting superbly. There was a lot of protest before the meeting but only four people turned up to object.

The people who objected said they were worried about paedophile, but sex shops don’t attract them as we don’t sell what they want. Schools are much more likely to attract them.

People see a sex shop application and get frightened but the regulations imposed on us state that passer bys cannot see through the doors or window displays. So what are they going to see?

The critics were also worried about the shop attracting the ‘wrong sort of people’, but these people also use newsagents, petrol stations and shops – they’re around us every day.

This is our 13th licence and we’ve never had one revoked. The councillors made a very sensible decision.

Under the terms of the licence the shop is not allowed to open on Sundays, show films or videos in their entirety or display any items other than lingerie in its shop window.

The firm is also ordered to place a screen between the window and the shop ensuring people cannot see into the store from the street.