A newsagent in Liverpool City Centre has been closed down following allegations girls as young as 12 were provided with alcohol in exchange for sex.
The Ten to Ten store, located on Hardman Street, seek was ordered to shut for three months by a judge at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court earlier today.
The owner, Ushan Wewawala, cried in court after the closure order was granted. His solicitor Gary Bryan claimed the closure would “finish his business”.
Angela Bellingham, representing the force, told the court: “There is an ongoing investigation relating to incidents recently reported, involving matters which came to light when a foster carer made a report to police that two 13-year-old females were being sexually exploited on the premises.”
Ms Bellingham said another 13-year-old girl “made disclosures” to a school safeguarding officer, and the court heard five girls in total are the subject of enquiries.
She described accusations that staff in the store invited young girls into a store-room and then asked for sex acts, before offering them crisps, alcohol and chocolate.
The court were told that all of the girls were in the care system and claimed they would travel to the city centre from Wirral to the shop.
Ms Bellingham said: “One of the girls told police she claimed to travel to Liverpool specifically to attend the premises because she had heard that the owner would give free alcohol to underage children in exchange for performing a sex act”.
Mr Wewawala and another staff member, Dias Nawalge, are currently helping police with their enquiries after being arrested last week, although at this point no criminal charges have been brought.
Ms Bellingham said in his police interview Mr Nawalge admitted “doing it” with a girl in the shop on one occasion, telling police he believed she was 19 years old.
Mr Nawalge also accepted the underage girls interviewed as part of the investigation had come into the shop however he claimed that they demanded alcohol or they would make “sexual allegations” against him.
Mr Nawalge had not mentioned this incident until after his arrest, meaning it was too late to obtain CCTV footage relating to the incident.
The court ordered the owner to pay £850 in fees and the store can not be opened unti December 27.