A South London curry house has been banned from selling alcohol after the Home Office discovered two illegal Bangladeshi workers employed at the premises. The Darjeeling, located on Sidcup High Street in Bexley, faced a licensing review following a visit by immigration enforcement officers in May 2025.
Home Office Investigation
At a Bexley Council Licensing Sub-Committee meeting on March 24, Alexandra Romano, representing the Home Office, called for the full revocation of the restaurant's licence. She explained that the South Central Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) team visited The Darjeeling on May 15, 2025, after receiving intelligence about illegal employment.
Officers encountered five employees during the visit, two of whom were found to be working illegally. Both men were from Bangladesh. The first illegal employee worked front of house, claiming to work 20 hours a week for £250 paid in cash. No right-to-work checks had been conducted before he started. The second man, working in the kitchen, also had no right to work. Home Office records showed he had entered the UK on a six-month visitor visa in 2004, overstayed, and had multiple leave applications refused.
Former Owner's Failings
Saiful Islam, former owner of The Darjeeling, had failed to conduct proper right-to-work checks. Ms Romano noted inconsistencies in his account of working hours and patterns, stating that his willingness to deceive officers demonstrated he could not be trusted to uphold licensing objectives. She also revealed that Mr Islam had been issued an £80,000 civil penalty last summer, which remains unpaid.
The penalty was issued to Sweet Wave Ltd, a company solely directed by Mr Islam, but the company went into liquidation after an objection to the penalty was rejected. Ms Romano argued this suggested a pattern of behaviour, adding that Mr Islam had held the licence since 2009 and should have been fully aware of his responsibilities.
When invited to speak, Mr Islam took the blame for not maintaining records, misunderstood requirements, and expressed regret. He confirmed he had viewed employee passports but had not carried out further checks. Since the incident, he sold The Darjeeling and used the cash to repay debts and suppliers, though he remains the licence-holder and Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), working as a waiter.
New Owner and Committee Decision
The Darjeeling was purchased by Mohammod Islam (no relation), who assured the committee that he had undertaken proper employment checks and procedures to ensure compliance.
Bexley's Licensing Sub-Committee took just 13 minutes to decide to revoke the licence, agreeing with the Home Office that Mr Islam had shown negligence or wilful blindness. The committee had no confidence in Mr Islam, stating that his failings meant the premises were used for serious criminal activity. The revocation prohibits The Darjeeling from selling alcohol.
