Bouts of jelly wrestling and mud fighting will stay “off the bill” at Watford Town Hall, councillors confirmed on Tuesday.

But they agreed to differ on whether such activities were “sexploitation” or harmless fun.

Reaffirming the council ban, Councillor John Horsfield said the council was not attempting to censor, but to protect the public from exploitation.

But Councillor Gary Ling argued the council should not have a “pre-emptive strike and censorious attitude” towards such activities.

The debate followed the council’s decision two months ago to reverse its rule that women should not be allowed to wrestle at the town hall.

Members decided to allow a woman wrestler to perform there after she accused them of going aginst their own equal opportunities policy.

[From the Watford Observer of July 31, 1992]