A Newham restaurant has had its licence revoked after illegal working was discovered on its premises, leading to concerns about the prevention of crime and disorder.
The Licensing (2003 Act) Sub-Committee met on Thursday, September 3, 2026, to consider an application for the review of the premises licence for Thiru Ananthapuram Restaurant, located at 241A High Street North, Manor Park. The review was initiated by the Home Office Immigration Enforcement.
According to the report presented to the committee, the grounds for the review were based on the licensing objective of the prevention of crime and disorder.
The Home Office stated that they had grounds to believe the licence holder had failed to meet this objective, as illegal working had been identified at the premises. This action was taken under the provisions of the Immigration Act 2016, which introduced immigration safeguards into the licensing regime to prevent illegal working in licensed premises.
The Metropolitan Police submitted a supporting representation, agreeing that illegal working undermines this licensing objective. The police representation highlighted that the presence of individuals working illegally constitutes a criminal offence and is often linked to wider exploitation, tax evasion, and safeguarding risks. They argued that the failure to conduct lawful right-to-work checks and maintain robust compliance systems indicated management failures and a potential disregard for statutory responsibilities.
Following the review and consideration of representations, the Sub-Committee decided to revoke the premises licence for Thiru Ananthapuram Restaurant. The meeting information does not detail the current operational status of the restaurant after the revocation.
Further details regarding the meeting can be found in the public reports pack for the Licensing (2003 Act) Sub-Committee meeting on 3 September 2026.
