Southampton takeaway has licence revoked after illegal workers found

The decision over Super Pizza in St Mary’s Road followed an investigation by the Home Office.

The premises will no longer be able to carry out the licensable activity of late-night refreshment.

This means hot food and drink cannot be sold after 11pm.

Home Office immigration officers visited the takeaway in July last year and found two men who had entered the UK illegally and did not have the right to work at the restaurant.

A civil penalty of £45,000 was issued to Fast Food T/A Super Pizza Limited. It remains unpaid.

Premises licence holder Super Pizza Ltd said there had been failings but insisted it had taking strong actions, including terminating its franchise agreement.

However, members of Southampton City Council’s licensing sub-committee said they were concerned with the premises licence holder and not the franchisee.

Representing the Home Office, Peter Hodgson told councillors evidence before them showed illegal working occurred at Super Pizza.

Super Pizza in St Mary's Road, Southampton

Mr Hodgson said: “The question ultimately for us tonight is whether you can have confidence the premises will be operated lawfully going forward.

“The Home Office position is confidence has not been established and for those reasons we would still respectfully invite you to revoke the premises licence on this instance.”

Solicitor Rashidul Islam, representing Super Pizza Ltd, said: “There has been some failings.

“We have readily admitted that and the question is what have you done?

“We have taken the strongest action that we could. We terminated somebody’s franchise agreement. We have taken over the management of that.

“What can we do going forward?

“We have already identified a number of things that we would be looking to do going forward.

“I think hopefully that should give the assurances to the councillors that appropriate actions are taken, lessons have been learned and going forward these things would not happen again.”

Sub-committee chairman councillor Phil Webb said: “The checks that Super Pizza had in place were clearly insufficient as illegal workers had been employed.”

Cllr Webb said it was accepted by all parties that there have been workers at the premises employed illegally.

He said members were sceptical about the two-weekly reviews which were in place as they did not pick up on non-immigration issues highlighted by the Home Office, including health and safety concerns.

Cllr Webb said: “The sub-committee listened to the proposed changes that were made at the premises, however, in the face of issues of illegal workers, poor employment practices and health and safety concerns, the sub-committee did not have the confidence that these were more than aspirations.”

Super Pizza Ltd has a right to appeal the sub-committee decision, which was made at a meeting on June 24.