The Temptations sex shop in Crown Street has been operating since 2004 and, despite a letter of objection from Ibrar Hussain claiming it "promoted evil and wrongdoing in the town centre", Calderdale Council voted to renew its licence.

Olwen Jennings (Lib Dem, Todmorden), told the licensing committee meeting: "If a shop like that had been around when I was a child, maybe I would have been offended or curious, I don't know.

"But let's face it, we live in the 21st century and what is in its window can be just as easily seen in Marks and Spencer's."

A supposed 130 letters of objection were submitted to Calderdale Council about the shop being offensive and provocative.

But the meeting was told that only one letter was proven to come from a genuine source.

The newly-elected Mohammed Ilyas (Lib Dem, Park) was the only one of 15 councillors at the meeting who voted against the shop, on the grounds it corrupted the youth of Halifax.

Danielle Coombs (Lab, Ovenden), said: "If you want to see our young people being corrupted, look at them falling out of our local pubs.

"Are we really going to ruin someone's business over this?"