A Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in west London could be stripped of its late licence after police discovered it was employing illegal immigrants.
The franchise in Notting Hill Gate, which is open until 5am, will have its licence reviewed by Kensington and Chelsea council on Thursday.
On April 28, police and immigration officers visited and found that three of five staff were in breach of immigration status, including a deputy manager who had overstayed his visa and was due to be deported, according to evidence submitted by police. The Met has recommended that the late night refreshments licence be revoked because “there is a strong likelihood that the licensee was aware of the employees’ status and paid them accordingly”.
Its application for a review states: “There is evidence that some workers employed illegally are paid less than the minimum wage, do not pay tax, and may be doing more dangerous work that breaks health and safety regulations.” The application also cites “serious concerns” about violent incidents at the restaurant.
A report from licensing officer Pc Ian Davis said police were called at 2.15am on October 22 to reports of five men fighting inside, one of whom “sustained a broken jaw”. Another fight broke out at about 3am on March 25 when a man was attacked by three people including a woman, who kicked him in the head several times, said police. Officers asked the restaurant for CCTV footage of the fights but were not given it.
If the licence is not revoked, police said, the restaurant should stop serving at midnight, install comprehensive CCTV, have door staff at night, and keep a full record of hours worked by employees subject to immigration control.
KFC said: “We were disappointed to learn of these allegations that have been made against our franchise partner. We will work hard to ensure that lessons are learned.” The franchise operator declined to comment.
