Brighton is not going to become Soho by Sea, full of sex shops.

Labour councillor Don Turner gave that assurance to colleagues at a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council.

Green councillor Sue Paskins presented a petition by people objecting to the opening of a second sex shop in Surrey Street only a few doors from an existing one.

She said there had not been proper consultation over the decision of the licensing committee to approve the shop.

But Coun Turner said consultation procedures were strictly laid down by law and the council had abided by them.

He added: "We are not creating a little Soho because we have one more sex shop in a place like Brighton and Hove with 250,000 people. This is a fuss about nothing."

But Greens complained the council had not complied with its own policy about sex shops and people had not been told about the application.