FENLAND: Man behind sex shop plan rebuffs town clerk apology for comments in objection letter

EXCLUSIVE by TOM JACKSON ERBIE Murat sensationally retracted a bitter attack on the man behind plans for a sex shop at Guyhirn, hours after his letter was passed to lawyers. But Tony Ibrahim brushed aside the Wisbech Town Council clerk s apology and said:

EXCLUSIVE by TOM JACKSON

ERBIE Murat sensationally retracted a bitter attack on the man behind plans for a sex shop at Guyhirn, hours after his letter was passed to lawyers.

But Tony Ibrahim brushed aside the Wisbech Town Council clerk's apology and said: "He has done the damage."

Mr Murat included scathing comments about Mr Ibrahim's family, finances, ethnicity and children's schooling in his objection to the plans for the former Little Chef near the A47.

Shortly after receiving a copy of the offending letter - on official Wisbech Town Council headed paper - Mr Ibrahim's wife Sheniz passed a copy to police and her family lawyers.

However, in a fresh objection letter to Fenland District Council's licensing department, Mr Murat said: "I apologise to Mrs Ibrahim for any distress I may have caused her by my previous letter.

"My understanding was that she was part of the application on the basis that she would benefit from the operation of the sex shop and, therefore, she should form part of the determination of whether the applicant is suitable to hold a licence.

"I did, however, act precipitously and included material that I had not intended, and I again apologise to Mrs Ibrahim.

"But the fact remains that she is supporting her husband's application for opening a sex shop in a location that puts children and young people, in my opinion, seriously at risk and certainly at much greater risk that they now endure."

Mr Murat was last week branded "vindictive and vile" by Mrs Ibrahim, who claimed her children had been put at risk "by stating some Islamic word and stating which school they attend".

In refusing Mr Murat's apology, Mr Ibrahim said he will continue to seek legal advice.

"He has done the damage and he is going to pay the price," he said.

• The council has extended the deadlines to submit objections to June 11.