THE cost of a sex shop licence should go up in a bid to drive them out of Bolton, says a councillor.

Council chiefs are set to increase the cost of a licence from £1,542 to £1,576 in April.

But Tory deputy leader John Walsh claims that it is not enough and there should be a higher fee to discourage them.

Bolton Council gives a licence to two sex shops in the town.

It means that they are inspected by officers at least once a year.

There are strict guidelines on what can be sold and there have to be clear warnings on the outside of the building that explicit material is on sale inside.

Cllr Walsh said at an environment and consumer sub committee meeting yesterday: "Perhaps we should increase the charges of establishments we wish to discourage." He also said that dog breeding establishments or "puppy farms" should also be targeted.

Mr John Clegg, borough environmental health officer, said that there were statutory maximum amounts which could be charged for a licence and they may not be able to increase it above a certain amount by law, but officers would investigate.

Labour Cllr Mrs Prentice Howarth warned that if the licence was too expensive, shops may not bother to register with the council and the local authority would have less control over them.

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