SEX shops could be drawn to Middlewich by cheap rates after Congleton Borough Council set among the lowest licence fees for erotic establishments in the country.

The borough council's new sex establishment act, passed last month, allows it to levy a licensing fee on sex establishments. The decision was made after a number of enquiries were made for sex shops across the borough.

The fee will be set at £1,000, while fees across Cheshire and Staffordshire typically range up to about £5,000, depending on the area.

Middlewich resident Maria McGalde is astounded that councillors at the borough council would be willing to put their name to such a vote.

She asked: 'What councillors have voted for sex shops to be set up at very reasonable prices?

'We want to invite them to come forward as we would like to know who these councillors are. What kind of characters would vote for something like that?'

Maria, a member of anti landfill lobby MAD - Middlewich Against Dumping - believes that the borough council dump things on Middlewich. She is already locked in the battle against the landfill site planned by the Banks' Group - and says she is willing to take on any sex store which would like to set up shop in the town.

'It seems that what comes to Middlewich are things that we don't want and aren't beneficial,' she said.

'I certainly don't think a sex shop and all that it entails would be beneficial to anybody and it would be bad for the youths who congregate in the town.

'It's totally unnecessary and together with the detention centre and the landfill, you have to ask, what are Congleton Borough Council made of?

'It's bad enough trying to protect your children from the Internet and violence and almost pornographic films at the cinema.'

Sex shop chainstore Simply Pleasure has admitted it is searching for a suitable location to build what would be Europe's biggest sex shop somewhere in Cheshire, and a spokesman said: '£1,000 for a sex shop license certainly is cheap.'