A sex shop in Camden could be forced to close after police discovered pharmaceuticals were being sold illegally from the premises. The Blue Rose adult shop in Kentish Town has held its sex establishment licence for more than a decade but now faces losing it after Metropolitan Police licensing officers found stashes of Sildenafil pills inside tin containers which had been available to customers over the counter.
Regulated medicine sold illegally
The drug, used for erectile dysfunction similar to Viagra, is not a controlled substance but a regulated medicine, and is illegal to supply for anyone who is not a doctor or a pharmacist. The Met reported seizing large quantities of the drugs, including 200mg tablets – double the recommended maximum dose of 100mg per day.
The Met’s Licensing Officer, PC Christopher Malone, said there had never been any reason to object to the venue’s licence in the past, but the criminal offence meant the council should deny the Blue Rose a new licence.
Health risks highlighted
“Research shows that taking 200 mg of Sildenafil can potentially lead to serious or fatal outcomes if the person has heart conditions or disease. They would be at risk of suffering a heart attack or dangerous heart rhythm problems,” PC Malone said in his report. He added that a person taking the drugs could also suffer a severe drop in blood pressure, especially if combined with Nitrates, some blood pressure meds, or recreational drugs like poppers – of which the latter was also for sale on-site.
Police were also alarmed to find small, unmarked bottles containing clear liquid which the employee claimed was poppers, but “could have contained anything”.
Unapproved staff and licence conditions
PC Malone reported the person working at the shop during both inspections was unknown to the authorities and not on the premises licence, “has no training on selling this type of medication and they are definitely not doctors or pharmacists”. “They could sell it to anyone, young and old,” he said. Despite maintaining a detailed incident log being a strict standard of the sex establishment’s licence, the person on shift was not able to provide this.
During a second visit in May, where the police planned to seize the drugs and potentially interview the owner at the police station, the venue was forced to shut as the shop was once again being operated by an unapproved, single male employee. All Sildenafil and poppers had been removed.
Recent inspection and community concern
Camden’s licensing team met with the shop’s manager and inspected the premises in June, a month after the last police inspection, and found it “compliant with all standards, amended and additional conditions”. Separately, one resident has complained that the shop’s signage was offensive in an area with many school-aged children.
The Blue Rose’s licence application is set to be heard by Camden’s Licensing Sub-Committee on Thursday, August 6.
