A sex shop in Bristol has been given the green light to sell hardcore gay porn films - but only after councillors visited the store to see the shop themselves.
Businessman Mark Mullens argued he needed to sell the films and material aimed at the gay community to save his West Street shop Rudies from closure.
Bristol City Council’s public safety and protection committee gave the application the thumbs up after more than 20 letters and emails supporting the application had been sent in by traders and residents in Old Market.
Only two objections were received.
Representing Mullens, Jeremy Woodcraft told councillors the shop had been in the family since the 1960s and had become a video rental library in the 1980s, selling adult films on the top shelf when a licence was not required.
He told the council that Rudies was low profile with a blacked out window and not open to anyone under 18.
Councillor Jaw Jethwa said: “Rudies is quite a well presented shop from the outside, it’s not huge. You can download this [material] quite freely, that’s the area I’m more worried about.”
But councillor Chris Davies raised concerns about whether the shop was “suitable” for the area, according to a report in the Bristol Evening Post..
“There is an emerging community at the rear of your premises – what impact will that have on children who might go that way to school?” he said.
After a short deliberation behind closed doors, the committee approved the application.