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A central London restaurant famous for its dim sum has been stripped of its licence after at least 20 illegal workers were arrested at the premises in a series of Home Office raids.
The Standard reported that the Royal China in Baker Street has paid fines totalling £470,000 following three visits by immigration officers between 2018 and this year.
Westminster council on Thursday "banned" the Chinese restaurant from selling alcohol to diners, playing music and serving hot food after 11pm over the failure to conduct right to work checks.
Immigration Officer Leonard Johnson described the venue as the “worst licensed premises” the Home Office had come across in the borough.
One worker who was arrested during a surprise visit reported doing 66 hours a week while earning just £6-an-hour, the Home Office said. Minimum wage is £11.44 an hour.
In October 2018 nine people were found to be working illegally there and arrested.
They included two women and one man originally from China who entered the UK illegally and three Malaysian men and three Chinese women who had overstayed, or were in breach of their visa conditions.
One Chinese woman, who had admitted to entering Britain illegally, escaped when the fire alarm was deliberately set off, the report to Westminster council states.
The council’s Environmental Health Officer said the sting had been of particular concern, as the fire alarm was set off in a bid to “create mayhem” and allow one woman to escape.
Royal China Group owns six restaurants in London, including the upmarket Royal China Club, also on Baker Street, as well as a venue in Dubai.
Councillor Maggie Carman asked whether any of Royal China Group’s other restaurants were also being investigated but was told the premises at 24-26 Baker Street was the only one being looked at by the Home Office.
“It seems quite unusual to me that a business can stump up £470,000 in fines just like that and still carry on as a business? It just doesn’t add up,” she said.