Alcohol licence revoked after immigration raid

Cristallo restaurant was raided by immigration officials in November

A restaurant found to have employed illegal workers has had its licence to sell alcohol revoked.

Cristallo, in West Cliff Road, Bournemouth, was raided by Home Office Immigration Enforcement (HOIE) in November 2024 and asked the local authority to remove the licence.

The Italian restaurant's owner was initially fined £80,000 in January, but that was cut to £40,000 on appeal in February and another appeal has been lodged.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council's licensing sub-committee said the ongoing appeal did not mean it was unable to take a decision on HOIE's application and removed its premises licence.

It was told the restaurant's fee for the annual licence had not been paid despite reminders and had been suspended earlier.

The committee said the threshold for civil action against the restaurant had been met in the case of at least one person and possibly two.

"The employment of illegal workers disregards the law, places those illegal workers at increased vulnerability and acts to the detriment of other businesses and the wider community," the committee said.

It said it had considered other action, including changing the restaurant's licence or leaving it as it was, but it said they would have been insufficient.

It said it decided to revoke the licence "on the grounds that the premises is not upholding the prevention of crime and disorder…and is satisfied that there is no alternative outcome that will mitigate the concerns raised by HOIE."