Pizza boss banned for hiring two illegal workers

Illegal workers were hired in a Cumbrian pizza shop

A pizzeria owner from Cumbria who hired two illegal workers has been banned from being a company director for six years.

Dondu Ozmicco, 35, employed the workers at Flames Pizzeria in Ulverston, without doing right-to-work checks.

Immigration Enforcement fined the business £20,000 after they raided the premises in 2020.

The business went into liquidation in March 2022.

'Serious breach'

Kevin Read, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Dondu Ozmicco’s failure to ensure the required right-to-work checks were carried out led to the employment of two illegal workers, in contravention of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

“This represents a serious breach of legislation and of the standards expected of company directors."

Ms Ozmicco, of Scale Hall Lane, Lancaster, was the sole director of Flames Pizzeria – NM Catering Ltd, from its formation in December 2019 until it entered liquidation in March 2022.

The pizzeria was visited by officers from Immigration Enforcement in October 2020 and the company was found to be employing two illegal workers.

A civil penalty of £20,000 was issued by Immigration Enforcement in March 2021 which remained unpaid at liquidation.

One of the workers said he had worked at the premises for between one and two weeks.

'Cheats honest workers'

HM Inspector Kendal Barnett, Home Office Immigration Enforcement said: “Illegal working cheats honest workers out of employment, puts vulnerable people at risk, and defrauds the public purse.

“We will continue to work with partners including the Insolvency Service, as well as law enforcement agencies to tackle illegal migration in all its forms.”

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Ms Ozmicco, and her six-year ban began on 10 January.

It prevents her from becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.