Restaurant that had illegal workers keeps licence

A restaurant that employed illegal workers will keep its licence but will need to adhere to new conditions.

Weymouth Tandoori in Maiden Street, Dorset, was raided by Home Office officials on 24 September, who said they received information that immigration offences "were routinely being committed" there.

After Dorset councillors reviewed the restaurant's premises licence, they said written records must be kept to show employees can legally work in the UK.

They concluded the restaurant's licence holder, Jamal Uddin, had not operated in a "deliberate" way to "defraud or to exploit workers".

Dorset Police asked for Weymouth Tandoori's premises licence, which allows the sale of alcohol, to be reviewed.

Tim Munro, for Mr Uddin, said his client "demonstrated poor administration processes rather than a deliberate attempt to flout the law".

He said Mr Uddin had expected a firm to carry out the right-to-work checks on employees but later found out that these had not been done.

Mr Uddin then carried out some checks on one member of staff but they were "inadequate and led to the employment of a worker who didn't have the necessary right to work in the UK in that sector", Mr Munro added.

But Dorset Council's licensing sub-committee said revoking the restaurant's licence "would not necessarily resolve the issues because the restaurant could continue without the sale of alcohol".

It found it was "clear" that Mr Uddin was getting help "to ensure that the business operates in a lawful way" in the future.

Mr Uddin must ensure that right-to-work checks are carried out and that evidence of those can be inspected by a licensing officer.

Dorset Police said a report by immigration officials about the restaurant "contains sensitive information and cannot be in the public domain".

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