A Bradford sex shop, faced with criticism since its opening last autumn, has pledged to take the seediness out of erotic merchandise and attract couples to the store.

Pulse & Cocktails this week gets its licence to sell explicit DVDs and other goods at the Tong Street store after a long wrangle with Bradford Council.

The 2,000 square feet shop is the 17th to be opened by Graham Kidd and his business partner Linda Boothby since their first enterprise in Rotherham eight years ago.

Mr Kidd said that the market for adults toys, books and clothing had changed dramatically in recent years and he was determined to rid the industry of its 'dirty mac' image.

"Right from the beginning we intended to take the seediness out of the business," he said. "I've been in the traditional type of shops in the past and I have to say it was horrible, awful in fact.

"Obviously there have always been Ann Summers parties for women but they kept men out. So the idea was born to have a shop that was couple friendly. We decided to aim it not at women or men but both.

"Our catchphrase is: 'Couples who play together, stay together'.

"We've taken the dirtiness out of it and it's like going into any other high street store."

Mr Kidd said the proportion of women clientele was far greater than when the business had first started in 1997.

"Now women are much more at the forefront of the market than they used to be. I think it's definitely the media which has convinced women that it's quite normal to go into a sex shop and own a sex toy."

Mr Kidd said the company's philosophy was to deliberately locate the stores not in town or city centres but in the suburbs, the aim being to attract out-of-town shoppers.

"Our main customer base is 23 to 50-year-olds although we also get 50 to 60-year-olds and some customers are in their 80s.

"When we first opened people under 30 were very much in the minority but the market has changed now. The majority of our customers are making a conscious decision to come out and see us."

Pulse & Cocktails recently paid £5,410 for its licence to Bradford Council. Mr Kidd said the costs elsewhere had been much higher.

The licence for the firm's Armley branch in Leeds had cost £12,000 and in Hull it had been £18,000.