A furore over sex toys being laid out on a stall during a ‘family-friendly’ public event at Exeter Library has spilled over into the council chamber at County Hall.

Members of Devon County Council were asked if they would be endorsing live sex shows or the distribution of pornography next.

Reform UK councillor Sue Davies (Hatherleigh and Chagford) said the incident at the Out There Queer Fest in 2025 had led to ‘the blatant sexualisation of young children’ and told members of the Liberal Democrat administration: “You don’t care about young children.”

She was speaking as members of the full council debated a motion by Cllr Edward Hill (Ind, Pinhoe and Mincinglake) which arose from Young Person’s Day at the festival. It was reported that one stall displayed anatomical models of male and female genitalia, a condom-fitting device, condoms, and a penis-girth measuring card. Children as young as three were said to be present.

Devon County Council did not directly receive any complaints about the event from parents at the time, but Cllr Hill insisted there had been a safeguarding oversight.

His motion called for an independent review and an assurance on safeguarding policies and added: “This motion seeks to ensure that children and vulnerable people are protected from inappropriate material, unsafe environments, and disorderly conduct at publicly-funded events.”

Cllr Hill said his motion was about protecting children while the cabinet’s response – that the council already had robust safeguarding procedures in place – was about protecting the council.

Leader Julian Brazil (Lib Dem, Kingsbridge) said it was not an issue the council took lightly, and officers had spent a long time ensuring that the right protections were in place.

“Some people think we shouldn’t be educating our children about particular things,” he said. “But this is not a safeguarding issue.

“Perhaps what happened on that particular occasion wasn’t as we would have hoped, and lessons have been learned. But children are our top priority, and I reject any accusation that we do not take safeguarding seriously.”

But Cllr Davies said the council was not standing up for local children, and was simply covering itself.

“Where are your red lines?” she asked. “What is it that will make you take a stand to protect our children?

“Safeguarding our children here in Devon will not be given the priority it deserves by this administration.”

Cllr Angela Nash (Ind, Wonford and St Loyes) insisted it should be seen as a safeguarding issue and Cllr Jacqueline Fry (Reform, Newton Abbot North) said refusing an independent review risked undermining public confidence in the council.

But Cllr Brazil summed up: “This is an emotive issue, but our professional officers have put in hours and hours of work on it, and it is not a safeguarding issue.”