Stafford curry house loses licence appeal after employing illegal workers

A restaurant owner who was fined £30,000 for employing illegal workers now has an extra £1,450 bill to pay after his latest bid to get his premise licence back failed.

Stafford Borough Council revoked the premises licence for Shimla Palace at Wolseley Bridge, between Stafford and Rugeley, in October 2017 following a request from Staffordshire Police.

Restaurant owner Abdul Muktadir had admitted employing illegal workers at Shimla Palace following a visit to the premises by immigration officers from the Home Office in October 2016.

Three men were found hiding at the restaurant, while a fourth was seen jumping out a window and running along a dual carriageway to escape.

Mr Muktadir applied to get his premises licence back but his request was turned down in June by the borough council.

He appealed against the decision at North Staffordshire Magistrates’ Court this month.

But he lost the appeal and he has been ordered to pay the borough council’s £1,450 costs.

The restaurant remains open however. It is permitted to serve hot food, but not to sell alcohol.

Customers are permitted to bring their own alcohol to accompany their meals.

Mr Muktadir said he planned to re-apply for his premises licence and customers have continued to support the restaurant. Shimla Palace currently has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Trip Advisor.

He was also the licence holder at Bilash in Rugeley, which had its alcohol licence revoked a few months before over illegal workers being found.

Mr Muktadir told June’s Stafford Borough Council licensing sub-committee hearing that records of employees’ passports, National Insurance numbers and addresses were now kept on site.

He added that CCTV cameras on site recorded who was working at the restaurant and recordings would be available for inspection.

Conditions were also proposed that the employee records could be inspected every three months and notice given of any change in employees.