THE chairman of Poole Town Centre Management Board has defended the High Street following suggestions that part of it has become “sleazy”.

Jonathan Sibbett said although the board was not in support of the new sex shop in the pedestrianised section, there were plenty of other businesses to attract shoppers.

Recent lettings included a greengrocer and a sweet shop.

“It isn’t all doom and gloom. We’re spending a lot of time making the High Street vibrant and a nicer place to walk up and down and there have been some successful lettings there,” he said.

“The town centre partnership directly organises and manages the High Street market every Thursday and a lot of work is done to organise events.

“All the Christmas lights are organised by the partnership and we have put money aside to repaint street furniture – the lampposts were painted last year.

“The town centre partnership office also organises the hanging baskets.”

Mr Sibbett added that Poole was not the only place to have suffered from problems.

“Drinking and beggars on the streets are pretty much typical of a lot of town centres at the moment. You see beggars even in the most affluent towns.

“The sex shop is not part of our vision for the High Street, but we have noted the comments and the proprietor wouldn’t be opening it if he didn’t feel it had a market.

“We are looking at a mixture of uses that create a broader appeal in the High Street and we would love people to use them so that traders have success.”