The Licensing (2003 Act) Sub-Committee met on 11 August 2025 to review the premises licence for Maamalas Restaurant. The sub-committee decided to suspend the licence for three months, and imposed additional conditions on the licence.

Maamalas Restaurant, 241B High Street North, Manor Park, London, E12 6SJ

Following an application for a review under section 51 of the Licensing Act 2003, the sub-committee decided to suspend the premises licence for Maamalas Restaurant, 241B High Street North, Manor Park, London, E12 6SJ, for three months. The sub-committee also imposed additional conditions on the licence.

The Home Office had requested a revocation of the licence, and submitted written and oral representations in support of their application. The premises licence holder also made written representations, including a letter of support from Sir Stephen Timms MP¹. The sub-committee considered the council's Statement of Licensing Policy, the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Home Office Guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003, the duties under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, and the rights set out in the Human Rights Act 1998.

The additional conditions imposed on the licence related to:

• Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS): A new DPS must be appointed by the time the licensable activities are to resume at the end of the suspension period.
• Recruitment of Staff: Documentary evidence that all relevant due diligence is carried out on the recruitment of staff and the right to work in the UK must be kept.
• CCTV: The CCTV system installed at the premises must be maintained in good working condition and record the premises 24 hours every day. Recordings must be retained for a minimum of 31 days and be made available to the Police or officers of the council upon request. Staff working at the premises must be trained in the use of the equipment and a log must be kept to verify this.
• Staff Training on the sale of alcohol: The licensee / DPS must keep a written record of all staff authorised to sell alcohol, and ensure that each member of staff authorised to sell alcohol has received adequate training on the law. All staff must undergo refresher staff training every 6 months.

The sub-committee's decision was based on the following reasons:

• The panel considered whether their concerns regarding the breach of the Prevention of Crime and Disorder licensing objective could be met by way of an alternative to revocation.
• The Home Office asserted that an enforcement visit to the restaurant on 7 June 2024 revealed that 4 out of the 7 workers were working illegally. Some of the illegal employees stated that they were getting paid below minimum wage and several stated that they were provided with food and accommodation.
• All the employees interviewed stated that they had not received appropriate training for the sale of alcohol. The Home Office asserted that 'there were no records, certificates or documented procedures available, reinforcing the conclusion that no formal training had taken place'.
• The licence holder stated that he was not able to give the business the appropriate amount of time due to his busy schedule and was unable to train staff. However, he understood that changes would have to be made and that he personally would have to give more time to the business. He stated that he was now in a position to do so after paying a heavy fine for his oversight and was handed a civil penalty of £180,000 which he has been paying at instalments of £5000 per month and has cleared £35,000.
• The panel were surprised that neither the DPS or the Licence Holder had a proper understanding of the licence conditions given their substantial experience in this sector. Indeed, both were unable to answer basic questions about the licensing objectives. This was particularly worrying given the breaches of the licensing conditions including failure to have working CCTV, failure to keep an incident report book, record of staff names and contact details amongst other breaches were noted.
• The panel considered the Home Office and licence holder's written and oral representations on the grounds Crime and Disorder.
• The panel considered paragraphs 11.27 and 11.28 of the section 182 guidance, which makes it clear that the employment of persons who are disqualified from work by reason of their immigration status in the UK should be treated particularly seriously.
• The panel decided on the balance of probabilities that with the removal of the current DPS and the imposition of rigorous additional conditions, the applicant would have the opportunity to promote the licensing objective of Prevention of Crime and Disorder by suspending the licence for 3 months.