Sex shop boss: Licences are a strain on our bottom line

A Soho businessman has launched a legal bid to force Westminster council to lower its fees for sex shop licences.

Tim Hemming, who owns Simply Pleasure in Brewer Street, has applied for a judicial review after claiming the council is using the fees of nearly £30,000 a year to raise revenue.

His court action is backed by five other adult DVD retailers.

Mr Hemming, who has 35 sex shops nationwide, said: "This is supposed to be a non-profit-making fee, so they should be spending all this money on enforcement and administration. We don't believe they have got the evidence to prove they have been doing that It's a strain on our bottom line."

He wants the charge capped at £1,000 a year.

A decision on his application is due in March. Westminster said it had received papers relating to the case.

A sex shop is defined as a business where more than 10 per cent of stock is adult themed.