Richmond Council's Licensing Sub-Committee will decide whether to renew a massage shop's license after officer claims that it could be offering 'sexual services.'

Oriental Style Massage and Beauty in Richmond Road, Kingston Upon Thames is in breach of two licensing conditions after council officers found a lack of staff therapist records and client records on three separate visits.

John McGann, Richmond Council Licensing Enforcement Officer, visited the premises run by Ms Jinlan Long and Ms. Yujun Qin on 12 October 2023 after a resident complained to a ward councillor that the shop was being used as a brothel and that it trafficked women.

During that visit, McGann found two Chinese females, one who claimed they were a cleaner and the other who said that they were there to receive a massage.

After inspection he found that both had Home Office registration cards that stated, 'No Right to Work.'

An entry and till receipt showed that some treatment had been done at 10am on the morning of 12 October 2023 but that there was no qualified therapist in the shop.

After the first visit, McGann went to Oriental Style Massage and Beauty again on 18 November 2023, but with immigration officers, after suspecting that the massage parlour could be employing illegal workers.

On this visit, one of the Directors, Yujun Qin, was present and they failed to provide a client record of sessions carried out that day, but no illegal workers were found.

Following this, the licensing team invited Long and Qin to discuss concerns the council has with the premises on 28 November 2023 at Civic Centre, Twickenham.

In this meeting the directors argued that clients refused to give personal information such as name, address and emergency contact, but the licensing team reminded them that it was the law to do so.

McGann warned them that if they continued to be in breach of their conditions then he would be recommending a refusal of the licence at the time of renewal.

On 10 April 2024 at 1pm, Licensing Officers Ms Sumeet Anand and McGann made a surprise visit to Oriental Style Massage and Beauty after the shop submitted a renewal application for its license on 22 March 2024.

During this visit, the council officers were met by a Chinese lady who spoke no English and had a qualification in Chinese Tui Na Massage and Reflexology.

McGann then found a diary and receipt roll that showed two visits that morning but when asked if there was client records for those sessions, the lady replied "no."

The lady then called Long, who attended the shop, but Long too was unable to provide client records.

Till receipts and diary records from Oriental Style Massage and Beauty from Richmond Council licensing officers on 10 April 2024 (credit: Richmond Council).

In his report, McGann states: "It is disappointing to note that despite two warning letters over the past six months and meeting with the licence holders, the premises is still not complying with the prescribed standard conditions for MST establishments relating to: 1. Condition 12 – Staff/Therapist Records. 2. Condition 32 – Client Records."

McGann adds: "The fact that clients are attending the premises and not providing their details gives serious concern that they are attending for sexual services."

Following the initial 12 October 2023 visit, Directors Jinlan Long and Yujun Qin wrote a joint letter to officer McGann refusing his claims of the business operating as a brothel and employing trafficked women.

They say: "We strongly refute this claim and are very upset that such a statement would be made without it would seem any such evidence to support it.

The directors argue that they 'do not knowingly offer services of sexual nature' to its clients and if any member of staff is found doing so would be 'dismissed with immediate effect'

Long and Qin explain that they are not involved with trafficked women and that they are legally qualified to work in the UK.

"We would also like to make it very clear we are not in any way whatsoever involved with trafficked women.

"Our staff primarily are the two directors who both have the qualifications and right to work in the UK, other part-time staff work at the shop on occasions when busy every effort is made to ensure the staff have permit to stay and Qualifications or are in training and supervised by the Directors.

"No person working in our shop is working against their will and are at liberty to work under our terms of practice or take work elsewhere," they explain.

Long and Qin continue that the allegations from the council come from a disgruntled customer who was refused by staff after requesting 'additional services' for more money and threatened to report the business to Richmond Council.

Long and Qin say "We contacted him and made it very clear that we would not pay any monies, that he was not welcome in the shop and if that if he persisted we would refer the case to the Authorities.

"He threatened to take revenge and damage our business not accepting that he could force us to pay monies or offer the services he demanded. If this is the basis of your inspection, please advise."

However, the business does admit that it failed to provide evidence of Right to Work from two of its staff during the first inspection by council officers (12 October 2023) and that it would make it 'matter of priority' going forward.

Long and Qin admit: "Many of the ancillary staff in the shop at this time of day do cleaning work and do not speak English as a first language but do have Home Office Cards to carry such actives, we do accept that they should not be left in the shop unsupervised which is not the normal practice but an exception on this particular occasion.

"There are very few treatments undertaken at this time of day.

"We accept that we could not at that time evidence Right to Work checks on this staff and we will undertake this as a matter of priority, if the individuals cannot produce the necessary documentation, we will dismiss them from the shop a seek alternative staff."

In regards to failing to provide client records, Oriental Style Massage and Beauty say: "Clients invariably are unwilling to give their personal details under the right of privacy and when they do provide them, we have no way of checking their identity and information.

"We keep track of our client by their Mobile phone numbers and name. We keep manual records of the date and time of treatment given as you have witnessed, and the Therapist will discuss their choice of treatment and their general health.

"Note that many clients are regulars from the local area and are well known to the Directors they are therefore aware of their health and condition to receive the service required.

"Clients are not in most cases willing to discuss their medical history and it is their responsibility to advise the Therapist if ant such history is relevant.

"We do not hold any such records due to Data Protection regulations."

Still, the business says it will 'make efforts to improve client records' but that it could not keep 'data that would breach the Data Protection obligations to the client and respect their privacy on medical matters.'

The Licensing Sub-Committee will decide whether to renew or refuse the license of Oriental Style Massage and Beauty today (30 May). To read the full agenda pack click here.