Weymouth Tandoori Retains Operating Licence Despite Illegal Worker Employment

A restaurant that engaged illegal workers will maintain its licence, subject to new conditions. Weymouth Tandoori, situated on Maiden Street in Dorset, was subjected to a raid by Home Office officials on 24 September. The officials stated they had received intelligence indicating that immigration offences “were routinely being committed” at the location. Following a review of the restaurant’s premises licence by Dorset councillors, a mandate was issued requiring the establishment to keep written records demonstrating employees’ legal eligibility to work in the UK. The councillors concluded that Jamal Uddin, the licence holder, had not acted in a “deliberate” manner with the intention “to defraud or to exploit workers”. Dorset Police had requested a review of Weymouth Tandoori’s premises licence, which authorizes the sale of alcohol. Tim Munro, representing Mr. Uddin, stated that his client “demonstrated poor administration processes rather than a deliberate attempt to flout the law”. He further explained that Mr. Uddin had anticipated a company would perform the necessary right-to-work checks on employees but subsequently discovered that these checks had not been completed. Mr. Uddin then conducted some checks on one staff member, which, Mr. Munro added, 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”. However, Dorset Council’s licensing sub-committee determined that revoking the restaurant’s licence “would not necessarily resolve the issues because the restaurant could continue without the sale of alcohol”. The sub-committee found it “clear” that Mr. Uddin was receiving assistance “to ensure that the business operates in a lawful way” in the future. Mr. Uddin is now required to ensure that right-to-work checks are carried out and that evidence of these checks can be inspected by a licensing officer. Dorset Police commented that a report compiled by immigration officials regarding the restaurant “contains sensitive information and cannot be in the public domain”.