Sex toy store fights job ad ban

Ann Summers: Not a sex shop

Sex toy retailer Ann Summers is to go to court on Friday in an effort to overturn a government ban on it recruiting staff through adverts in job centres

The Department of Work and Pensions, which runs the job centre network, says the ban is designed to protect jobseekers who may feel uncomfortable working in sex-oriented businesses.

Job seekers are obliged to apply for all suitable vacancies in order to claim benefits.

But Ann Summers, which sells lingerie and sex toys, says it is a reputable high street retailer, and claims the ban unfairly discriminates against it.

It says that the ban does not apply to some other retailers, including department store Selfridges, which stock sex toys.

Recruitment costs

"Ann Summers is not a sex shop," Ann Summers chief executive Jacqueline Gold told BBC Breakfast News.

She added that the ban forces the company to spend an extra £250,000 a year on recruitment advertising in newspapers.

The Department of Work and Pensions has said it will "vigorously defend" its policy.

Ann Summers' legal challenge follows an unsuccessful lobbying campaign aimed at persuading government officials that it should not be categorised as part of the sex industry.

Sales of Ann Summers products rose by a third last year, while profits nearly doubled to £9.5m.

The company, which runs 82 stores, attributes its recent success to a relaxation of British attitudes to sex.