The New Cross sex cinema wants to go straight - and its manager insists the raunchy venue is just a social club for people to enjoy themselves.

Club 487, situated beneath an old printing shop on New Cross Road, has attracted notoriety since News Shopper revealed customers were openly having sex and pleasuring themselves to hardcore porn films.

Following our report, police raided the venue last month as part of a licensing investigation. That has prompted manager Peter Jones to apply to Lewisham Council for a club licence, while punters must now register for proper membership cards.

And Mr Jones - who denies previously running seedy Islington venue Fantasy Video - told News Shopper: "This ain't a sex cinema, it's a private members club."

He went on: "It's no way a cinema. People come in here, they come and socialise and meet and chat and have the option of watching a film."

Asked why he had not applied for a licence before, he said he had been on holiday and added: "We were going to see if there'd be any customers coming. If people were ready to come, I'd get the licence."

When we visited last month, there were at least 10 men playing with themselves in front of the main screen and in two side rooms, but Mr Jones said business was "going slow."

Our reporter also saw three people having sex in the front row, but, asked if he knew that people were romping inside, Mr Jones said: "I've heard they have done. But that's not what we're here for. We're here to have a social club. 

"If they want to meet and go on from there it's up to them. What goes on downstairs sometimes I don't know."

He went on: "A lot of the stuff's a lot of nonsense that's been written. I don't know who's writing it.

"People have got mixed messages. People think they can come here and have sex like that. It's not like that.

"But what's wrong with it if there was? They're all over 21."

He added: "Who says they can't enjoy themselves? At the end of the day I don't see what's the problem."

Mr Jones, who said the venue needed very little cleaning, went on: "Everyone does have sex. Everyone has a penis or a vagina. What's the difference of people doing it in their house or getting dressed up and doing it somewhere else?"

And he said he didn't understand "the mentality" of people who had raised concerns about the club, which is opposite Addey and Stanhope School. He said: "It's just a nice comfortable place for mature, sensible people to come and enjoy themselves.

"It isn't hurting anyone. It wouldn't disturb the neighbours. There's no one standing in front of the shop. It's in private so I don't know why people would have anything to say at all."