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A security guard who raped and sexually assaulted girls stopped for shoplifting has been jailed for 14 years.

Zia Uddin, 27, of Manor Park, Newham, east London, attacked four 15-year-old girls at the Kingston Primark in 2017.

He threatened to call the police and inform their parents if they did not perform sexual acts on him in the control room of the store.

Uddin was convicted of rape and four counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He has also been banned from working with children.

During his trial, Kingston Crown Court heard his colleagues had noticed his strange behaviour, which included making requests to delete CCTV and not properly completing paperwork on shoplifting.

He was also known to keep condoms in the control room where he attacked his victims, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

He threatened to call the police if they did not comply with his demands, it added.

Prosecutors said one girl only did as he asked because “there was no other choice” and it was the only way out of the situation.

Graham Partridge, of the CPS, said Uddin “preyed on young girls in a vulnerable situation”.

“Having worked in security, Uddin was also well aware of the CCTV camera ‘blind spots’ and took advantage of these in order to carry out his offending.”

After the sentencing a Primark spokeswoman said: “This has been a horrendous ordeal for the victims and their families and we are truly sorry for what they have suffered. Our thoughts are very much with them.”