Lancaster restaurant to keep license despite employing illegal workers
There are stricter conditions for Bombay Balti, however
Last updated 23 hours ago
A Lancaster restaurant has been allowed to keep its premises licence despite employing illegal workers in the past.
But a restaurant boss can no longer be a designated supervisor and stricter conditions have been imposed on the restaurant. These will require right-to-work checks and information being available to immigration inspectors and other authorities.
The Bombay Balti in China Street was subject to a Lancaster City Council licensing review this week, requested by the Home Office. People linked to Bangladesh were found working there illegally in various visits by Home Office inspectors since 2015.
And more than £75,000 remains unpaid from a total £85,000 in civil penalties for the breaches, owed by companies which have owned the restaurant over the years.
Nazrul Islam Khan, of Torrisholme Road, Lancaster, has been the restaurant’s designated premises supervisor and also has a personal licence. But the licensing review was attended by a new license holder, Zakia El-Mahnil. She is the owner of a company called Bombay LA1 Ltd which now owns the restaurant.
At the review, she accepted she was working there during the last immigration visit and had ‘learnt from that experience’. But there are no illegal workers there now, she told councillors. Recently a man wanting a job was refused after checks. And staff are now paid through banks and not cash, she said.
She and another person do right-to-work checks. Mr Khan no longer deals with these but is still involved in the business, she said. Mr Khan has a front-of-house role and is also a chef. Her role is looking after the staff, making sure everything is legal and other tasks. This is a new start, she said.
Councillors said the facts were:
- Illegal working was identified on visits in 2015, 2018, 2021 and 2025
- Civil penalties totalling £85,000 were issued and remain unpaid due to insolvency or dissolution of operating companies
- Workers were engaged without lawful right‐to‐work checks
- There were cash‐in‐hand payments and the absence of employee records.
Making their decision, councillors said they would modify the premises licence rather than revoke it. But Nazrul Khan should be removed as designated premises supervisor for licensing objectives. There was clear evidence that whilst acting as the DPS, illegal workers were employed there.
Councillors emphasised there had been a ‘persistent and serious pattern of conduct’ that undermined the prevention of crime and disorder. Knowingly employing people who are unlawfully in the UK, or who cannot lawfully be employed, should be treated ‘particularly seriously’.
But this time, they felt a ‘stringent package of conditions’ would be enough to give transparency, scrutiny and enforcement. CCTV and other conditions were added too. Councillors also said they recognised Ms El-Mahnil’s willingness to make a clean start.