The Peterborough Evening Telegraph has reported on a campaign to prevent ‘the largest sex shop in the country’ opening in a former Little Chef premises in the Guyhirn area, near Wisbech.
Entrepreneur Tony Ibrahim [pictured by the Wisbech Standard outside the premises] bought the former restaurant last year, and is now renovating it to become an adult store called Kiss Kiss.
But Guyhirn Action Group member Paul Carpenter fears the presence of a sex shop is unnecessary and will deter families from moving to the area. He told the paper: “We have lost many of our community facilities and in return we get a sex shop. This really isn’t sending the right message. Currently the application is for a sex shop [but] it is unlikely with the investment made so far that it will end there, a bar, live performances and lap dancing will be next on the agenda, a sex shop alone is unlikely to provide sufficient return on investment. It is totally out of character for the area and which local residents want a sex shop on their doorstep? Who is going to use it?”
But Mr Ibrahim retorted that the shop would benefit the community when it opens, which could be as early as July. His previous adult industry experience includes running an adult shop at the rear of a service station up until 2006 and he said: “We want it to be right. There will be a licensed adult shop upstairs, and a women’s lingerie store on the ground floor.
“We know people who live in the Wisbech area who want something specific will travel to King’s Lynn or Peterborough for it. They are going out of their area and giving business to someone else.”
“We ran an adult shop for three years in Thorney Toll and never had one single problem. We had more problems with people driving off without paying for their petrol.”
The action group is holding a public meeting inside Guyhirn village hall on Thursday, at 7pm.
