Shop where illegal worker found could lose licence

The business faces being stripped of its premises licence

A convenience store where officials said they found an illegal worker faces being stripped of its licence to sell alcohol.

Hillside Stores in Kinson Road, Bournemouth, was raided by immigration officials on 7 November 2024, when an Indian man who had no right to work in the UK was found behind the counter.

Dorset Police will apply to revoke the store's premises licence at a Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) meeting on Wednesday.

Sujeevan Muralimohan, who is responsible for the shop's premises licence, told BCP that he was "committed to upholding all legal and licensing obligations".

The man found working illegally at the business said he had started working there in mid-October 2024.

Officials found he entered the UK on a student visa in 2022 but failed to enrol on his course.

That led to his visa being curtailed, making him an overstayer with no right to work in the UK.

The business was issued with a fine of £40,000 in January, an immigration official said in BCP papers published ahead of Wednesday's meeting.

Mr Muralimohan said the fine was cut to £5,000 "in recognition of my full cooperation with the investigation".

He said he has held a premises licence since 2011 and has "operated in full compliance with licensing regulations throughout this period, with no prior remarks or violations".

Dorset Police will say on Wednesday that it – along with other authorities – "no longer have confidence in [Mr Muralimohan] to uphold the licensing objectives".

According to the council documents, the force will also say it was "particularly concerned" nitrous oxide canisters were found at the shop.

Nitrous oxide has been classified as a class C drug "where its intended use is not legitimate and likely to be used to inhale", said police.