TWO Trowbridge businessmen have vowed to continue their struggle to open a sex shop in Trowbridge, despite yet another setback.

Brothers Daniel and Kevin Moore are looking for a new site for the shop after the landlord of the premises they had secured in Narrow Wine Street, pulled out of the deal at the last minute.

Daniel Moore said: "It is disappointing. It's a year's worth of work down the drain, not to mention a lot of money."

This delay is just the latest in the battle the pair have faced trying to start up their business. The pair were granted a licence to run the shop in August after initially being rejected by West Wiltshire District Council central area committee in May.

Their plans have caused a storm of protest from local people, some of whom signed a petition to try to prevent the shop from opening.

The Rev Stephen Wood from the Warminster-based Foundation Christian Fellowship, which has members from Trowbridge, collected more than 25 signatures objecting to the shop on moral grounds.

He said: "It doesn't matter where they put this shop, it is still immoral and it is going to attract people of an immoral nature.

"I can't believe the district council said a moral objection was not valid. What other sort of objection can you have to something like this?"

Mr Moore also organised a petition, on which he said he collected more than 600 signatures from people in favour of the shop going ahead, including a 76-year-old woman.

He said: "I don't give up easily and we plan to go ahead when we find somewhere to put it.

"The people who are against it are definitely in the minority, they are just very vocal about it. I say live and let live."

The pair are not looking for a site outside Trowbridge and hope to find somewhere in the town in time to have the shop open by the end of next year.

"Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire and I think people here should have a full range of services, including shops, to choose from."

Mr Moore is also setting up a website, which he hopes will go live within the next few months. Even if the pair do find premises it does not necessarily mean the shop will go ahead.

District council spokesman Louise Knox said: "The licence they've got is premises-specific. If they go for an alternative premises they have to reapply, as the key condition is location."