A sex shop is renewing its bid to win a licence allowing the sale of hardcore pornography just months after councillors voted against it.

Secret Desires sparked outrage when it opened in Rowlands Road, Worthing, earlier this year.

It was denied a licence to sell more explicit material following a protest by hundreds of people.

But a second licensing application has now been received by Worthing Borough Council.

Steve Stevens, 87, a former Second World War pilot who lives just 300 yards from the store, said it was doomed to failure.

He is launching a petition against the licence with the support of neighbours and other pensioners living in the street.

Mr Stevens said: "The people in this town don't want a licensed sex shop. I know some young men have phoned me to say they virulently do but the vast majority don't."

Secret Desires opened in February after councillors rejected owner Kathleen Sutton's original application a month before. Without a licence the shop is still allowed to sell less explicit material including sex toys, clothes, DVDs and magazines.

Council officers have now received a one-page application to licence the store from Miss Sutton, on behalf of her company Shop Tonight.

It would allow the firm, which also has outlets in Eastbourne, Hastings and St Leonards, to sell a wider range of hardcore DVDs and bondage gear in Rowlands Road.

Mr Stevens said: "We go past the shop twice a day and we never see anyone going in or out of it. Miss Sutton knows she won't win this. "She's told me that she knows she'll outlast me.

"I thought she would wait until I'm off the scene before she applied again.

"She also tried to convince me she was trying to help people with jaded sex lives.

"If she wanted to help people with their sexual problems she would be offering family counselling, not a larger sex shop."

The council is now expecting a flood of complaints from neighbours.

They now have until Friday, November 10, to send objections to the council before it meets to decide on the application, most likely in January.

Simon Jones, licensing inspector, said: "After last year's experience we'll expect a lot of comments but, I must say, since the shop has been open we've not had a single complaint.

"The main difference between an unlicensed and a licensed sex shop is that in licensed premises you can sell R18 films, which are uncensored and have to be sold across the counter.

"They are more risqu but there's not as big a difference as you would think. On average there's about two or three minutes cut out of a two-hour XXX film that the R18 version will have."

Miss Sutton was unavailable for comment.