Deputy Mayor backs Brick Lane restaurant prosecution

Shampan Restaurant Limited, the company which runs the Shampan restaurant on Brick Lane, has been fined £3,757.50 – and one of its directors, Rukeya Haque, has been fined £1,220.

The penalties arise out of a charge of “exposing and selling alcohol and late night refreshment without a licence” which was brought by Tower Hamlets Council under the Licensing Act 2003. The council’s licensing staff and Met Police officers had visited the restaurant on a number of occasions and found it to be selling alcohol. Ms Haque pleaded guilty to the charge at Thames Magistrates’ Court last month.

The Council has only issued comments from the Administration on this matter. Councillor Shiria Khatun, who is Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Community Safety, sang the praises of Brick Lane, saying: “We are fortunate to have such an iconic street in our borough, with restaurants that are enjoyed by residents and visitors from all over the world alike. With this in mind it is particularly important that the legality, safety, and standards of these restaurants is upheld.”

She went on to warn other traders, “We take breaches of licensing laws very seriously in Tower Hamlets, and will not hesitate to prosecute in such cases.”

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