A teenage girl was allegedly offered “food for sex” by a kebab shop seller in Blackpool. Lancashire Police received a report on 29 May that the man offered the girl “food for half price if she gave him a kiss or for free if she performed oral sex on him”. Police have applied to a council licensing panel to revoke the licence of the takeaway on The Strand. Sgt Nat Cox of Lancashire Police described the case as “extremely concerning”. The police also want to see the licence revoked because they were employing someone illegally.
The police said they responded to a report that the 18-year-old had been assaulted, but their investigation revealed she had been propositioned after a dispute over payment. The force discovered the takeaway worker had an asylum seeker ID card, confirming he was not allowed to work in the UK after two failed asylum applications. Asylum seekers in the UK aren’t allowed to work before they receive a decision on their claim.
Sgt Cox said the kebab shop had previously been warned about not having the door staff required under its licence. If the licence is not revoked, the police asked for stricter conditions added to the licence.
He said: “A drunk 18-year-old female on her own late at night is extremely vulnerable,” he said.
“She should be able to order food from a takeaway without being subject to sexual advances by the responsible people working there.”
The officer said the takeaway’s owner, Soliman Salalm, and his business partner were either unaware that the suspect was employed at Tasty or were deliberately hiding it.
“Either scenario is concerning and falls short of the standards expected of a licence holder,” they added.
