Lebanese restaurant licence suspended for one month

Lebanese Taverna Express, located on Fulham Palace Road in Hammersmith, has had its operating licence suspended for one month. The decision was made by Hammersmith and Fulham Council following an inspection by the Home Office Immigration Enforcement Team, which discovered an illegal worker on the premises.

Discovery of illegal worker

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The Home Office team visited the restaurant on September 18, 2025. During their visit, they encountered a kitchen porter who stated he had been hired two months prior without any employment checks being conducted. The worker, who had entered the UK in March 2022, was reportedly paid £9.50 per hour, which is below the national minimum wage of £12.21. He also confirmed that payments were sometimes made in cash. The former licence holder, Shakeeb Mohamed Ayash, acknowledged that no pre-employment right-to-work checks were performed and that the worker presented false documentation.

Council's decision on licence

The Home Office had initially applied to Hammersmith and Fulham Council for the revocation of the restaurant's licence. However, at a licensing sub-committee meeting this week, members opted for a one-month suspension instead of a full revocation. The meeting had been adjourned from an earlier date in September to allow for the recent change in licence holder.

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Alexandra Romano, a Home Office Licensing Compliance Officer, told the committee that revocation remained their request, emphasising that the review was not solely about the presence of one illegal worker but also about the operational failings revealed. She noted that Mr Ayash had accepted responsibility for recruitment and payment practices, and that there was no credible evidence presented to suggest a material and effective change since the new licence holder took over.

New licence holder's position

The current licence holder, Yousef Aga, took over the business on August 21, 2026. Speaking on his behalf, Saima Rizvi stated that the team recognised the seriousness of the allegations and argued that the conduct in question related to a period before Mr Aga became the licence holder. Ms Rizvi submitted that the committee should distinguish past circumstances from the current situation at the premises and that revocation was unnecessary.

Despite these submissions, the committee imposed the one-month suspension and additional conditions. These include a ban on Mr Ayash being employed at the premises in any capacity and the implementation of an online compliance system to record right-to-work checks. A visit by the licensing authority is scheduled in two months.