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Three beauty parlours have had their licence applications refused due to sexual services being previously offered from the premises.
The news comes just months after Tower Hamlets Council successfully prosecuted Acu & Herbs and the company’s director who operated Rain Therapy Centre, in Skylines Village, after an undercover male officer was twice offered sexual services by a female following a massage.
The company was fined a total of £2,584 and the director was fined £440, with the company also surrendering its license.
Human Health Ltd applied for a licence to operate from the same premises in Rain Therapy Centre. Despite them not being associated with the premises when it was prosecuted, due to these previous issues and not enough assurances being given the same thing wouldn’t happen again, the licence was refused.
At the licencing meeting on 4 October, two other companies also had their requests for licences refused.
Vanilla Thai Massage, in Whites Row, had requested a special treatment licence, but this was also refused due to test purchases previously finding that the sexual services had been offered on the premises under a different licence holder. The committee was not satisfied that this would not happen again and so the licence was refused.
The special treatment licence for Primo Remedy, in Wentworth Street, was also refused by the committee, as sexual services has been offered under a different licence holder, and one of the directors of the proposed new licence had links to this person.
Cllr Kabir Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate, said:
“Thankfully most beauty parlours in Tower Hamlets are reputable and respectable businesses.
“However, the council will always take strong action against those which are not, prosecuting and refusing licences when needed.
“We hope that these decisions send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated in Tower Hamlets.”
Posted on Wednesday 9th November 2022