A SALISBURY sex shop owner says Wiltshire Council has demonised him by forcing to black out his window.

Jonathan Spencer, who runs Erotica Belle in Fisherton Street, has had a window display since he took over three years ago.

But he has had to scrap his Christmas display and replace it with “blacked-out seediness” after a complaint, costing him £1,800.

Wiltshire Council said the shop window had breached the conditions of Mr Spencer’s licence, which required windows and doors to be obscured to hide the interior and items for sale from the outside.

Mr Spencer said: “My shops operate within the law. We seem to be demonised by the council and looked down upon like we are some illegitimate business. They are restricting my human right to earn an honest living.”

Residents set up a petition when Mr Spencer took over and modernised the shop three years ago, but he was allowed to keep his display and has had one ever since.

Now, after renewed complaints, the council has forced Mr Spencer to black out his windows with the wording “licensed sex shop”.

Underneath it reads: “The owners would like to apologise for the shop looking like an 80s sleazy sex joint but the council has forced us to black out our windows. We would like a pretty window like our other shops.”

Matthew Dean, a city councillor for the area, said he had passed on a complaint from a resident to Wiltshire Council about the suitability of the display, but had not requested a blackout.

Having seen the new window, he said he was “very disappointed” with the outcome and urged the council and Mr Spencer to work together to reach a compromise.

Mr Spencer said when he took over the store he was granted a licence to have window displays.

But now he says he has now been told an “administrative error” meant that was not the case.

He said local traders were in shock and he had been “inundated” with people calling and coming into the store in disbelief since the change, saying his displays had “cheered up a very dreary end of Fisherton Street”.

Wiltshire councillor for the area Richard Clewer said while some people could be embarrassed by the displays, they were no worse than other shops in the city. The shop was legal and he would rather a window display than a “seedy blacked out front.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “It is important we are consistent and ensure all licensed premises’ adhere to their licence conditions.”

Mr Spencer also said he had been bombarded with complaints and a “barrage of abuse” for displaying a rainbow flag in his window to support Salisbury Pride.