Chelmsford's Army and Navy pub has pulled the plug on a shock rock American band after warnings by police and borough council licensing officers over allegations of public indecency.

The Impotent Sea Snakes had been due to perform at the popular venue last night (Thursday), but were told by landlord Sean Hudson that he could not risk putting them on the stage.

"If the Sea Snakes went ahead, I could get a strike against my licence, so I had no alternative," he said.

A group member, known as Thirteen, told the Essex Chronicle that loyal fans paid to see them perform knowing what their act entailed.

He said that simulated and actual sexual acts were encouraged during performances, either between members of the group or with members of the audience, but that they all involved consenting adults.

"It is ridiculous and outrageous," he said. "We have never been banned from any place before like this. People pack out venues because they like what we do."

A Chelmsford Borough Council spokeswoman said: "Licensing police and council officers visited the landlord recently in the light of complaints brought against the group when they first performed at the Army and Navy last year.

"They earlier viewed the group's website and it was quite clear what their show involved. If it went on in the public house, it would infringe the licence which bans profanity and impropriety, favouring decency, sobriety and orderliness."

Essex Chronicle Go! editor Mark Taylor described the group as proud to be vile gender benders who brought deviation into punk glam shock-n-roll.

"The group are of a similar ilk to Rock Bitch, who took the Army and Navy by storm before being banned from the UK," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.