A council trying to ban anti-gay music is loaning CDs from its libraries of artists who have penned homophobic lyrics.

Pubs and clubs which play or allow artists to perform songs inciting homophobic acts face having their licence taken away in Brighton and Hove.

But it has emerged that work by Buju Banton, who recorded a song called Boom Bye Bye which advocates the shooting of gay men, and an album of songs by rapper Eminem, which includes homophobic lyrics, are available for loan at Brighton and Hove City Council libraries.

The CDs were initially withdrawn yesterday after The Argus contacted the council but tonight a spokesman for the authority said: "We've not banned any acts from nightclubs and it's not our role to provide artistic taste police in our cultural facilities either."

The council last week voted to tackle so-called "murder music" with a new section to its licensing policy.

This followed the furore surrounding a Buju Banton gig last year at Concorde 2 in Madeira Drive, Brighton, which was cancelled at the 11th hour after the council threatened to withdraw its licence.

Although the new council policy cannot legally ban any form of music, it was specifically designed to discourage murder music acts and allows licences to be reviewed if performances include incitement to violence.

The council already bans "murder music" from libraries following a decision in 2005.

But it emerged yesterday, after contact from a regular library user, that an album by "Buju Banton and friends", which does not include the notorious lyrics, was available from the Jubilee Library.

And four CDs of Eminem's song Criminal were available from the Jubilee Library and Hove Library.

Dave Jones, of Springfield Road, Brighton, who spotted the CDs said the confusion over what music is acceptable shows that any form of censorship leads to problems.

He said: "My sympathy with Brighton and Hove council's attempt to stop murder music is outweighed by my fear of censorship.

"Will the council destroy their CDs? I hope not.

"Performers like Buju Banton should be warned before a gig that if they advocate the murder of gay men they will be arrested and jailed. It is already a crime.

"Britain's censors have such a terrible record when it comes to permitting lesbian or gay sexual freedom that I can never trust them."

Banton is banned from singing the homophobic lyrics in this country but gay campaigners claim he performed it abroad as recently as 2005. The singer has since signed a commitment to ban hatred and prejudice from his music.

The council spokesman said: "A small section in the council's new licensing policy is aimed at preventing crime and antisocial behaviour in licensed premises.

"There is no ban or censorship on any particular artist or song and this section of the policy is not there to prevent people being offended - its sole purpose is to prevent crime and disorder.

"This is a separate issue to the library service, which also does not aim to censor material which is legally available to the public.

"The library service sets out to maintain a balanced stock of material, offering a wide range of materials reflecting a broad spectrum of views and opinions.

"The Eminem Marshall Mathers LP was released over seven years ago, the lyrics are controversial and the CD is labelled with an explicit content warning."