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New florist stems sex shop rumours

Christopher Brereton
23/ 2/2006

DAVID Walton's roses are red, his violets are blue, a nun thought he ran a porn shop and two vicars did too.

David, 47, learned his trade in Amsterdam and set up his florist business in Leigh Road, Boothstown to cater for customers wanting the latest in stylish flower arrangements.

But he named his shop Sexy Flowers, an act that sparked concerns his blooms were really a cover for selling adult sex goods.

Two local vicars, a host of well-meaning members of the public and a nun all paid secret visits to the shop, believing that David may be a budding porn baron.

But they soon found that the most outrageous items on sale were floral arrangements.

David said: "I like to do a lot of things with flowers that are funky, unusual and even a little sexy, so I thought the name was good for the business. The name went on the shop front before I had moved my equipment into the shop so for a while no one looking in could see exactly what was going to be going on in there.

"When I opened for business, I could see people walking past with cameras and notepads and I wondered what was happening.

"I suppose people see the word sexy in the title and think it is a sex shop. I just didn't think it would cause such a reaction.

"When they came in they were not interfering, they all bought flowers and were only concerned about their parish, which is as it should be."

The shop is David's first venture since abandoning life as an internet company director to spend more time with his four-year-old son Karran and wife Pierina.

David added: "The people of Boothstown have been absolutely amazing.

"I should have done this 20 years ago, the business has gone through the roof and people have welcomed me with open arms."