UK grownup store operates for 21 years with out grievance – till now
Shop owner, Alan Brook defended his business in Crewe stating: ‘Everything’s been great, no trouble whatsoever’ – however councillors may decide not to renew its licence
A sex shop that has been operating without a hitch for 21 years could be under threat. Temptations Adult Shop, located on Nantwich Road in Crewe, has seen its annual licence renewal hit a snag due to an objection from Macclesfield council.
The matter was brought up at a Cheshire East Council licensing sub-committee meeting, but a final decision has been postponed. Kim Evans, the licensing team leader, informed the committee: “In respect of the premises, there have been no complaints received, either from members of the public or from responsible authorities, and the premises has not been discussed in any of our police licensing liaison meetings where problem premises are discussed.”
Alan Brook, the shop owner, defended his business, stating: “I’ve operated responsibly as the licence holder for the last 21 years in the community at the same address. Everything’s been great, no trouble whatsoever.”
However, Councillor Sarah Bennett-Wake expressed her dissatisfaction, citing the shop’s location on a school walking route and its impact on the street’s appearance.
She said: “It’s clearly family-orientated, with playgrounds, mother and baby shop in close vicinity, and therefore a sex shop, and the application to sell pornographic films and magazines is not in keeping with the character of the area.
“The last government, in 2021, examined the relationship between pornography use and harmful sexual attitudes and behaviours, with a particular focus on academic research on legal pornography.
“They found that men using porn expected women to play out violent and degrading acts they had viewed. There was an increased likelihood of committing both verbal and physical acts of aggression towards women with significant strong correlation with the use of violent pornography”, reports Stoke on Trent Live.
Police figures reveal Crewe South recorded the highest rate of sexual offences in Cheshire East.
The councillor continued: “I just think it’s not appropriate to sell porn on the high street where there’s children passing by.”
However, Mr Brook fired back: “I object to your suggestion that any of my 200 customers a week, that’s 10,000 customers a year, are in any way involved with crimes that are happening in Crewe South. I don’t see where the relevance comes into it. I find it almost slanderous.”
He revealed approximately 30 per cent of his clientele were women.
Mr Brook insisted no violent DVDs were stocked in the premises and all DVDs sold carried proper certification from the British Board of Film Classification.
The meeting was put on hold and committee chair Arthur Moran announced that a decision regarding the licence renewal will be made public within 10 working days.
