Shoppers get knickers in a twist over saucy display

Published on Sunday 14 March 2004 00:00

DESPITE their array of risqué lingerie and daring sex toys, Ann Summers shops are now a high street staple with more than 70 stores nationwide.

But, uniquely, Perth residents have decided the standard of their own high street has been lowered enough and are calling on the saucy shop to raise the tone of its windows.

The branch has been subject to a number of complaints about "impropriety", forcing the council to carry out a legal investigation into the window displays.

The prominently-sited shop attracted complaints when it first opened two years ago from a number of residents.

Perth and Kinross Council held a series of talks with the store to reach agreement on what should be displayed in its windows.

But despite showing the same products as other stores across the UK, the Perth branch has continued to attract hostility.

The council’s head of legal services, Ian Innes, carried out an investigation and

his report, to go before the licensing committee this week, says the chain does not need a sex shop licence.

"The existing voluntary agreement between the council and Ann Summers is sufficient to ensure window displays are within what would generally be deemed to be a reasonable degree of propriety," says a report to the committee.

The store last attracted complaints with a festive display featuring three wise men "bearing gifts" for Christmas.

Resident Noreen Hickey said: "Since Ann Summers opened this store, advertising in their windows has been of a suggestive nature. The advert is a complete affront to decent people and is highly offensive in nature."

A spokesman for Ann Summers expressed surprise at the complaints.

"We were surprised because we haven’t had this kind of problem with any of our other stores," she said, "and we’ve got 75 stores now.

"We do have to listen to what our customers are saying, but it’s just a tiny minority of the people in Perth who have taken the trouble to complain.

"We will bear people’s comments in mind, but we are Ann Summers and people expect us to have humorous and quite sexy windows."

Shoppers yesterday said they were surprised anyone would be offended by the window display of lingerie-clad mannequins.

James Martin, 37, said: "No wonder Perth gets a reputation for being a bit stuffy and gentrified if people get offended by that kind of thing. It’s harmless."