Swindon store accused of being base for exchanging booze for sex with children

Wiltshire Police says Meadowcroft Express in Upper Stratton is “being used to sell alcohol and energy drinks to underage children" as well as sell cigarettes and vapes to children.

The force also claims it is being used as for unnamed people to exchange alcohol for 'sexual acts' with those who are underage.

Officers have also claimed children have been allowed to work at the shop with no safety training and an injury has already taken place there, and that some staff do not have the right to work in the UK.

Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

The revelations have come out of Wiltshire Police's submission to Swindon Borough Council as part of a licencing hearing.

Store owner Chintan Shah, who denies the allegations about the business, faces having his licence to sell alcohol and tobacco revoked by the council.

The county force has put forward a submission to the three-councillor strong licensing panel, which will meet on Friday.

The police submission adds: “The basic ethics of the premises is selling products, notably to children, that appears to be encouraging crime.

"For example, selling cannabis marked snap bags, bongs and grinders. Plus there is intelligence to suggest drug dealing and drug usage occurring at the location.

 “The application centres around grave concerns that despite several visits and interventions from police and trading standards, Meadowcroft store continues to flagrantly break the law with an air of indifference by selling alcohol, cigarettes and vapes to underage persons plus exploiting them by occasionally employing them to do work for payment-in-kind.

“This is impacting not only on the individuals but also the local school and community as a whole and is clearly putting these children at serious risk of significant harm.

"The store has clearly had ample chances to address the basic and serious issues to which this review relates.”

PC Deller, one of the neighbourhood police officers for Stratton submits several intelligence items about behaviours of concern at the shop, mostly around selling alcohol, vapes and cigarettes to children but also concerning workers not having the right to work in the UK.

One details a girl of 15 being served alcohol and concludes: “There have also been other underage females that were served alcohol in this shop in return for the young person performing sexual acts.”

Another submission details evidence from a school teacher about concerns about she shop selling vapes to pupils and there is an account of a test purchase visit where two girls, 15 and 16, bought e-cigarettes without any request for proof of age.

Mr Shah denies what the police say. He said: “The police haven’t put in any evidence. It’s just hearsay, what people have said to them. Anyone could say anything.

“We’ve been here a long time and have had a lot of support from the community.

“I will be at the panel meeting and I shall be defending myself, because there has been no real evidence put in.”

The meeting of the three-councillor strong licensing panel starts at 11am on Friday September 23, at the Civic Offices in Euclid Street.

Members of the public may attend or watch proceedings online via a link from the council’s meetings calendar on Swindon.gov.uk.