A WORTHING sex shop's third bid to sell hard-core pornography has again been rejected by Worthing Council.

Secret Desires, in Rowlands Road, wanted to sell videos with the specialist R18 certificate and a wider selection of sex toys, submitting its application in October last year despite two previous failed attempts.

On Wednesday evening, the licensing and control committee heard almost two hours of representations from opponents to the bid, and a spokeswoman for the applicant, before retiring for almost an hour to discuss their decision.

Opposing the bid, Andy Hickford, minister of the Maybridge Community Church, said 45 businesses between Heene Road and Chatsworth Road had signed a petition opposing the bid.

He added that licensing the shop risked the area in which it was situated being seen as "seedy" and said nothing had changed since the shop's previous application was rejected last January.

Mark Weedon, pastor of Worthing Tabernacle, said the area in which the shop was situated was residential and led into the main town centre.

He said the fact towns such as Littlehampton and Bogner Regis had licensed shops was a reason Worthing should be "kept free" of one.

Steve Stevens, who has now led three successful campaigns against Secret Desires and numerous other moral crusades, said this campaign would be his "swansong".

He told members pornography was "evil" and added: "If you say no to this tonight, this shop is going to die".

Jacqueline Sutton, company secretary of Shoptonight Ltd, owners of Secret Desires, reminded members that the films a licence would allow the shop to sell were legal and had been passed for release by the

British Board of Film Classification.

She added that much had been said about the shop which was "quite unjust and quite untrue".

Ms Sutton said none of the fears raised when the shop first opened about increased crime or a decrease in local trade or property prices had come to pass.

She said: "I can't understand why the church would want to stop other people using the shop if they wished" and added "many people don't want to be censored by anyone but themselves".

Around 75 people packed into the committee room at the town hall to witness the meeting.

The public scrutiny seemed to affect some members, with Keith Sunderland and Ann Sayers leaving the meeting on legal advice after making prejudicial statements during their questioning of Mr Hickford.

Both had said they were practising churchgoers and opposed to the sex shop.

Mrs Sayers' ommission may have even proved costly for the shop's bid. Among the controversial comments which led to her leaving the debate was the assertion she felt licensing the shop was "the lesser of two evils".

And during Mr Stevens' submissions, Carol Molineaux left the committee room unannounced, apparently for a comfort break. She was instantly expelled from the debate on her return on the grounds she had missed evidence and would not be able to make an informed decision.

Some opponents to the bid joined in group prayer as they waited outside the council chamber for members to announce the result.

After just under an hour of deliberations, a council solicitor told the hushed audience the committee had rejected the bid on the grounds it would be inappropriate in the high density residential area in which it was situated.

She added it was also on a main thoroughfare into the town centre often used by children.

Steve Stevens said he was "absolutely delighted" by the result. He praised Mr Hickford and Mr Weedon for their contribution and paid tribute to Jacqueline Sutton for her composure in speaking.

He added that he did not think there would be another application for "many, many years".

Ms Sutton was unavailable for comment.

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