A Sussex sex shop owner has been told he could be prosecuted for illegal trading.

The warning came after a council inspector visited the newly-opened Ignition sex shop in Hove.

A licence is needed to sell most of the adult products on offer but permission has not yet been granted.

The owner was given a formal caution and agreed to remove hardcore videos, magazines and some adult products from sale until his application for a sex shop licence was considered.

The shop can continue to sell products which do not need a licence until its application has been decided by Brighton and Hove City Council.

A council spokesman said: "We will be visiting the shop again later this week to ensure the owner has altered it to comply with the caution."

Ignition, Hove's first sex shop, has been given a cautious welcomed by traders who said they had no objections as long as it was discreet and well run.

However, some residents complained it would attract the wrong type of people to a busy shopping street used by parents taking their children to school.

Averil Older, Tory councillor for Central Hove, has received a number of complaints which she has passed on to the council's licensing officers.

She said: "I personally have no problem with having a sex shop here. Brighton has them so why not Hove?

"However, I am here to represent the views of local residents and so I have asked the council to keep an eye on the shop while the application is dealt with.

"I was contacted by an officer who told me he had inspected the shop and found most of the items on sale clearly fell into the definition of sex articles.

"He said he was satisfied it was a sex shop which was operating illegally and the owner had been cautioned.

"If it is still trading illegally after a second visit a decision will be taken on whether to prosecute the owner.

"He did point out, though, that some of the videos, magazines, lingerie and adult toys could be sold without a licence and if the owner kept to that then no action would be taken."

The council has still not received an application for Ignition to be allowed to sell restricted products.

The owner, who did not want to be named, said: "The application is with my solicitor who has been ill but it should be submitted this week.

"I did have a pre-arranged visit from a council inspector and as a result I have agreed to remove some magazines, videos and adult products from sale.

"We do not want to do anything which could stop us getting a licence and we will do everything we can to co-operate with the council.

"While there have been objections, I have also had a lot of support from people.

"One woman said she was glad she no longer had to go all the way into Brighton."