Indian restaurant to appeal against licence removal

Restaurant Posh Spice says it plans to keep selling alcohol while appealing against the licensing decision

An Indian restaurant stripped of its alcohol licence for employing workers illegally has said it is planning to appeal against the licensing decision.

North Somerset Council said it had revoked the licence for Posh Spice restaurant in Nailsea following a raid by immigration officials in February.

The authority said it could not sell alcohol or serve hot food after 23:00h.

The licence removal will now not take effect until after the outcome of an appeal by the restaurant's owners.

Jasmine Miah, daughter of the owner Golap Miah, said: "We have now received notice.

"We will be carrying on business as usual and carry-on selling alcohol until the matter is sorted in court."

Immigration enforcement requested a review of the restaurant's alcohol licence after a raid in February found three people working at the restaurant without the right to work in the UK.

One of the three workers was granted permission to work legally three weeks later.

The same three people had also been working illegally at the time of a previous raid in June 2022, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

At a hearing on 17 April, the chair of the licensing subcommittee, Andy Coles, told Mr Miah: "The committee has decided to revoke your licence based on the evidence we have heard from immigration."