A SELLER of saucy seaside postcards was shocked when police officers turned up on Eastbourne Pier to investigate claims he had been flogging obscene images.

Ian Donald has been selling the cheeky postcards for more than 20 years without complaint and could not believe his eyes when uniformed policeman visited his Gifts @ Eastbourne Pier shop on Tuesday morning.

“I thought they were joking,” Mr Donald told the Herald.

“And when they saw them one of the policeman was laughing at how ridiculous it was.

“Apparently someone had telephoned the council and been told to call Trading Standards and was then told if the images were obscene then it was a matter for the police.

“I have never in all my years had a single complaint about them.

“Postcards like this are part of the English seaside.

“They are not obscene, they are just cheeky humour. I don’t see how anyone could be offended by them.”

Earlier this week the Herald was contacted by Ashley Steinschauer, an assistant minister at the Elim Family Church in Hartfield Road.

He said he had been “shocked” to see displays of nudity in local gift shops and had reported the matter to the authorities.

He said the fact that children could see the postcards was unacceptable and had particular scorn for Mr Donald’s shop.

He said, “I feel that with the pier being such a tourist attraction the gift souvenir shop could portray Eastbourne as a ‘sleazy’ place that allows public images of naked woman for children to see.

“The pier is a very public place for young families [and] I am hoping that public interest will help protect our public places, specifically for the benefit of younger children.”

According to Mr Donald though, Mr Steinschauer is very much in the minority.

He explained, “We sell around 600 to 700 of each of these cards every season and they are popular with all types of people.

“We even get old ladies who bring them up to the counter face down because they are a bit embarrassed to be buying them.

“They are just a laugh – a saucy postcard. You see more on the beach than you do on these cards.

“I would love to know what your readers think of them.”

r Are postcards like these a welcome part of the English seaside experience? Have you ever been offended by anything you have seen on a postcard?

Let us know what you think by emailing eastbourne.herald@trbeckett.co.uk or joining the debate online at www.eastbourneherald.co.uk.