Blackpool supermarket closed down after becoming target of child sex investigation

A Blackpool supermarket became the target of a police operation into child sex exploitation,a court heard.

As a result two men have been charged by police with rape and inciting young girls into sex activity.

The investigation also involved Blackpool Council and yesterday the local authority successfully applied for a closure order against the European Supermarket on Central Drive, which it said was the centre of disorderly and criminals behaviour.

That included men hanging round the store making suggestive comments to local women and girls.

It also involved the sale of cheap illicit cigarettes and , on one occasion, a man was captured on CCTV pointing a gun from the shop at a passer-by.

Shop owner Vasile Iordan objected to the full order after an interim order was made 14 days ago.

There was no suggestion he was involved with the sex offences but he told Blackpool Magistrates he “assumed” responsibility for selling the illegal tobacco products with their false trademarks and no health warnings.

He said he had complained about the gang of men who used his store as a “honeypot” but police only gave him reference numbers

Blackpool Council community safety officer James Blackburn told the hearing that the activities of the males in and outside the store had drawn the attention of the police’s “Operation Awaken” which deals with child sexual exploitation.

He said;”They were worried about inappropriate association of the males with young girls and started an investigation.”

As a result the magistrates were told two men were charged with serious sexual offences against girls aged 15 and 13. One of the duo had fled abroad and the other is due at Crown Court next month.

PCSO Phillipa Tyson said that what had been happening in and around the European Supermarket had prompted had prompted a vulnerable persons report by police.

“This is done when children are regarded as being at high risk of sexual exploitation and they are not done lightly,” added the officer.

Giving evidence Iordan a father-of-two, of Sutton Place, Blackpool, said he had suffered the backlash from local residents.

He said he assumed responsibility for selling the cut price counterfeit cigarettes.He thought they had all been seized by trading standards in their first raid.

“I was doing a clean up and found some more- I was going to get rid of them ...burn them.”

“About the gun it was a ball bearing gun.I took it off him.I hid it under the counter at the shop I think it is still there now. I remember the two girls and the men. They just used my shop s a meeting up point, that’s all.”

As well as the closure order magistrates ordered Iordan to pay £1,200 costs.

He leased the shop from building owner Gary Taylor who left proceedings after stating he had no objection to the council’s application.

Council anti social behaviour officer Douglas Petersen told how a local woman felt uncomfortable when she walked past the store because males blew kisses at her and made derogatory comments.

Mr Petersen said:” She said the men were pervy and she felt they were undressing her with their eyes.”