A Stevenage shopkeeper has been convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl.

Oval Wine owner Emrah Demici, aged 43, met his victim at the store before raping her at a Hertfordshire hotel in 2019.

Demici was convicted of rape at St Albans Crown Court earlier this year, and is due to be sentenced in April 2023.

Demici could be also stripped of its premises licence.

A Stevenage Borough Council panel is set to meet on Wednesday, April 19, when they will debate whether Demici, of Windmill Road, Cheshunt, has breached the four licensing objectives – including the prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of children.

Police claim the licensee failed to adhere to "public safety", "protection of children from harm" and "prevention of public nuisance" licensing objectives as a result of the rape conviction.

In addition to rape, Hertfordshire County Council's Trading Standards team seized "illicit" goods from the store in October 2019 and March 2021 as part of an operation – called "CeCe".

In 2019, the authority received 940 cigarettes and 1.15kg of hand-rolling tobacco which they believed to be counterfeit, which was sent off for examination.

In 2021, the county council seized 128 Lost Mary disposable vapes and 225 Elux disposable devices, among other items.

Hertfordshire Constabulary was unable to make contact with a Designated Premises Supervisor during a site visit earlier this year.

Summing up the police's position, a council report reads: "Hertfordshire Constabulary is of the view that, due to the conviction … of the premises licence holder coupled with the absence of the Designated Premises Supervisor from the premises and the fact they are non-contactable, suggests that neither are in a position to continue to manage these premises to the required level of responsibility.

"This, in addition to the use of the premises for the purpose of selling illegal vapes/tobacco, it is the request of the police that the premises licence be revoked in its entirety."

The report notes the council received an application to transfer the premises licence to another person on March 31, 2023.

Stevenage Borough Council has said this application is "incomplete" until they have the consent of the existing licence holder, who was held in prison after his conviction.

Councillors will have the power to revoke the premises licence for The Oval Wine at their April 19 hearing.