Strand News was fined £80,000 by the Home Office
A Central London convenience store accused of hiring illegal workers has lost its licence.
Westminster City councillors revoked Strand News’ licence and refused a request to transfer it to a new holder after the allegation prompted a licence review. The council handed down its decision on October 23 and will provide its full reasoning at a later date.
A meeting to discuss the licence transfer was postponed earlier this year after the Metropolitan Police became aware the Home Office had lodged a request to review the shop’s licence.
According to the council, it was in the public interest to hear both cases together. NN (UK) Limited, which runs the store on The Strand, was fined £80,000 by the Home Office after twice being found to have hired illegal workers, a Home Office report shows.
The premises licence holders did not attend the meeting and agreed to surrender their licence. The applicant who had requested the licence be transferred into his name, Dinesh Chhaganbhai Patel, also did not attend.
The Met Police opposed the application to transfer the licence to Dinesh Patel claiming he is a director of the company currently operating the premises. At the time, PC Steve Muldoon warned that granting Strand News a change of licence holders would “undermine the prevention of crime and disorder… including the prevention of illegal working in licensed premises”, according to a submission to Westminster City Council.
The Met officer said he had received information that immigration services had been called “on a number [of] occasions” to deal with people employed by the current licence holders Kamlesh Patel and Romil Patel.
The Home Office said it had “several serious concerns” about the management of the business. It said during an enforcement visit with Westminster City Council on March 6, the only member of staff running the shop was found to be an “overstayer” and was subsequently arrested.
According to a Home Office report, the worker said he was paid £45 in cash for a nine-hour shift. An illegal working referral notice was served and the council referred the premises to Trading Standards for selling “non-compliant” vape products. Officers also found a fire exit obstructed with objects.
Westminster City officers revisited the store four days later and found the same individual illegally working again, along with another overstayer, the Home Office wrote in a letter to the council. This prompted a planned visit by Central London Immigration Compliance and Enforcement.
On March 13, another individual was arrested as an overstayer during a revisit. Officers also encountered a student on a trial shift. Both individuals said the licence holder was away in India and was not reachable.
The shop was locked up and closed due to the absence of staff. The person arrested during the March 3 visit admitted to selling alcohol without the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) on site which the Home Office said was a “clear violation of licensing regulations”.
Emails between Westminster City and the DPS, who hasn’t been named, show they resigned their position and had left the UK in 2019.
Officers were also repeatedly told during visits that the licensee was in India and not contactable. The Home Office visited a linked premises on Great Russell Street in February and found similar issues with both workers found to be overstayers and arrested, they say.
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