Owner of Indian Tree restaurant in Ringwood, Adib Bachhu, has alcohol licence revoked over immigration offences

A RINGWOOD Indian restaurant owner with a history of employing illegal workers has had his alcohol licence revoked for a "pattern of unacceptable behaviour" and "serious" breaches of regulations.

Adib Bachhu, who runs the Indian Tree on Market Place, had flouted the rules for a "sustained period of time”, ruled New Forest District Council's licensing sub-committee

Members said they “had no choice” but to revoke his alcohol licence, saying he had a “serious disregard as a premises licence holder”.

It also said it was a “source of grave concern” that referrals had been made to Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service for blocked fire escapes.

The restaurant had also been reported to environmental health for a number of food safety violations, it said, and the home above the restaurant appeared to be an unlicensed house of multiple occupancy.

The decision came after Hampshire police had asked for a review of Mr Bachhu’s licence due to a string of immigration offences there.

Since 2012, officers said, 14 employees with no right to work in the UK had been arrested for working at the Indian Tree.

The latest was in January this year when the restaurant was raided by police and Home Office immigration officers who found an immigrant working there illegally.

Councillors on the sub-committee were told Mr Bachhu had previously been fined a total of £175,000 for employing illegal workers – but had paid only £2,000 of them.

The meeting heard Mr Bachhu shut down the companies involved, something councillors voiced “frustration and concern" about.

The decision report said there had been “extensive failings” in adhering to special measures imposed following a court case in 2017 for employing illegal workers

That “indicated that the licence holder had no regard for the licensing objectives and laws, nor the immigration laws”, they said.

Under a special order, Mr Bachhu was also banned from hiring employees, and instead this should have been done by a manager.

But during the raid the person in charge told police that “the boss” did all the hiring.

The sub-committee's report added that they had found the manager acting on the night of the raid was not a "fit and proper person to act in this capacity."

The decision report said Hampshire Constabulary had also found a “large number of failings and licence breaches”.

These included ensuring that employees had legal working status, and keeping records required to comply with licence conditions.

The A&T approached the Indian Tree for comment.