Enfield Council has revoked the licence of a local tandoori restaurant after the premises were raided and illegal workers discovered.

The Council’s Licensing Sub Committee decided on 2 December 2015 to revoke the alcohol and late night refreshments premises licence. This is the first time immigration issues have led to a premises licence review in Enfield.

On 5 June, immigration staff visited Tandoori Nights, 27 Station Parade, Cockfosters, EN4 and found a member of staff there who was in breach of their Temporary Release Conditions.

Along with the revocation of the licence, the business now faces fines of £15,000 for immigration offences

The premises have a significant history in relation to immigration offences dating back as far as 2008. In September 2014 five arrests were made in relation to immigration offences.

In October 2014, a month after the previous arrests, Licensing Enforcement Officers visited the premises with immigration officers and four members of staff from the kitchen ran out of the back door to escape being caught.

The Licensing Sub Committee concluded that as the law has continually been broken by this establishment in relation to immigration over the past six years the licence should be revoked.

Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Daniel Anderson, said: “Illegal working defrauds the taxpayer, undercuts honest businesses and cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities.

“This particular establishment, despite being warned time and again, employed illegal workers who had no right to work in the UK, and as such I am pleased to see that this has been reflected in the huge fine and revocation of their licence.

“Enfield Council and our colleagues in immigration will not tolerate this flouting of the law, and will come down heavily on anyone who commits this crime.”

People with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact www.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.