THERE was an air of inevitability about Councillor Paul Denham's opposition to a sex shop's application for longer opening hours this Christmas.

The grounds were predictable too, especially over The Private Shop's bid to open on Sunday, December 17.

It would be offensive to worshippers attending places like St George's RC Church, he said. And the city should show sensitivity by rejecting it.

The plea had to be made, and the issue aired.

But we find ourselves echoing the views of Coun Ray Turner, and agreeing that it's difficult to argue against the temporary extension to the shop's opening hours.

In all honesty, society's tolerant of such shops six days of the week, so it would be hypocritical to single one day out and insist that, because one slice of the community regards it as special - albeit a shrinking slice - someone else should put their lifestyle on hold.

Put another way, society is constantly asked to declare that, as such places offend the morality of some, they should not exist.

That's an understandable argument, but it's a risky one and it smokescreens the real issue.

As long as such premises are discreet - a licensing condition we've always argued for - and their customers keep their sexual peccadilloes to themselves, then each to his own morality.

The decision to allow The Private Shop to tune in to festive shopping habits - as so many retail outlets do - may not be music to the ears of Sunday worshippers, but we hope they'll be able to turn the other cheek.