COUNTING sex aids and assessing adult material? It’s all in a day’s work for council officers.

Bournemouth trading standards and licensing officers have taken part in a “day of enforcement” against four premises in the town to investigate whether they are selling sufficient sex articles to warrant a sex shop licence.

They visited Chez L’Amour at the Triangle, 18+ on Holdenhurst Road, Blue Bazaar on Christchurch Road and Ann Summers on Commercial Road, which all currently trade without sex establishment licences on the basis that they do not offer a “significant degree” of sex articles.

But licensed sex shop owners, who pay thousands of pounds for a licence, allege these shops are effectively unlicensed sex shops and have urged the council to investigate.

It comes at a time when a group called Large Cause Ltd (Licensed Adult Retail Group Encourage Councils to Abolish Unlicensed Sex Establishments) is taking legal action against Ann Summers Ltd on the same grounds.

In a statement, Ann Summers said they had had direct communication with Bournemouth council and been told they were not in breach of licensing laws.

Chief executive Jacqueline Gold said: “Our customers are strong, confident women with an attitude that reflects the brand’s own core values and this is demonstrated in our sales and demand for more stores across the nation.

“Allegations made against us are wholly unsubstantiated and we are confident the courts will find that there is no case to be answered.”

And Jason Sherratt, owner of Chez L’Amour, said: “My shop’s a bit of both. I have a selection of normal DVDs and some other little novelties as well as some adult material.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a full-on ‘explicit’ shop, so we just have a sign on the door warning people that there are adult things inside.”

Senior licensing officer Sarah deBruin said the law was vague when it came to ascertaining exactly what was a sex shop.

The definition of a “significant degree” of sex articles has never been tested in the courts but recent legal advice provided for Leeds City Council suggested the threshold could be placed at just 10 per cent.

Officers’ findings from their visits will be reported to a private meeting of the council’s licensing board on November 3.

Councillors will then decide whether there is any evidence to prosecute any of the businesses and whether they want to pursue this.