Darlington Restaurant Fined £90,000 for Employing Illegal Workers Faces Licensing Review

Immigration officers raided the Oak Tree Inn, a Darlington restaurant, last December and found four people working there illegally. Three of the four individuals did not hold the right to work, while the fourth was working in breach of conditions. The Home Office reported that the workers included one who tried to run from the kitchen when officers arrived, and another who attempted to walk away. The venue's former manager, Ersim Aydin, acknowledged not checking the workers' IDs regularly, saying "I don't normally ask for ID, I do ask if they're okay to work and nine out of ten I go with what they say." Aydin also faced criticism for not paying the national minimum wage, with a worker reportedly earning £300 in cash per week, equivalent to £7.14 per hour.

Key Takeaways:

• The Oak Tree Inn, a Darlington restaurant, was fined £90,000 for employing two people who did not have the right to work earlier this year.
• Immigration officers discovered four individuals working illegally at the restaurant in December, with three lacking the right to work and one working in breach of conditions.
• The venue's former manager, Ersim Aydin, acknowledged not regularly checking workers' IDs, stating "I don't normally ask for ID, I do ask if they're okay to work and nine out of ten I go with what they say."
• Concerns were raised over wages, with a worker earning £300 in cash per week, equivalent to £7.14 per hour, a rate more than £4 less than the national minimum wage at the time.
• The restaurant's owner, Punch Pubs, confirmed it has since closed after Aydin left her role as the venue's operator.
• A spokesperson for Punch Pubs stated that the company is continuing to work with licensing authorities and has invited representatives to attend the licensing hearing.
• Ms. Aydin apologized for any distress caused and expressed her intention to belong and build something for the community, but acknowledged failing in her role.

Statistics:

• £90,000: The fine issued to the previous operators of the Oak Tree Inn for employing individuals without the right to work.
• 4: The number of individuals working illegally at the restaurant when immigration officers raided in December.
• 3: The number of individuals lacking the right to work out of the four discovered by immigration officers.
• £300: The weekly cash earnings of a worker at the restaurant.
• £7.14: The hourly equivalent of the worker's £300 weekly earnings, less than the national minimum wage at the time.
• £4: The amount by which the worker's hourly earnings fell short of the national minimum wage.

Sources:

• [No external sources provided in the original text]