Question: can an 18 year old date a 16 year old in the uk?
Answer: 16 is the age of sexual consent in the UK. So anyone over that age can legally date, or indeed shag, whomsover they choose (unless the older person is in authority over them - such as a teacher, or a family member) Nothing prevents a non-sexual friendship younger than that. It is illegal to pay anyone under 18 for sex.