A west London shop has had its license revoked after it was found to be employing an illegal worker who was paid in food.
JK Off License, on Ruislip Road in Greenford, Ealing, was found to be employing a staff member without the right to work in the UK following an immigration raid. It was the second time in just over a year that illegal workers had been discovered at the shop.
Immigration Enforcement officers visited the shop on July 26, 2023 and discovered a man working illegally, without permission to live or work in the UK.
In December 2024, under the current ownership, officers found a woman working illegally.
In interviews with the Home Office, she said she worked approximately 40 to 45 hours per week and was paid £9 per hour, which was below the £11.44 minimum wage.
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However, at an Ealing Council licensing subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Mr Rahul Kumar, the shop owner, told councillors that she was paid in food.
Cllr Jon Ball asked Mr Kumar: “In the evidence before us from Immigration… it states you were paying the employee £9 per hour, is that right?”. Mr Kumar responded: “No, that is not correct.”
Cllr Ball then asked him to clarify how much he was paying the illegal worker, to which Mr Kumar said: “I didn’t pay anything; I just helped with the food, that’s it. I didn’t pay her anything.”
He later added: “She came into the shop asking for work, I said can you provide me with documents… but she didn’t provide, so when I need some help she came for help, she didn’t come for work.”
Mr Kumar said that he had been asking the individual for her documents to prove her right to work, however she repeatedly delayed providing them – this continued for three months. He said: “Every time I asked her for documents she said today or tomorrow, today or tomorrow… so she didn’t give me the documents.”
During the meeting, Mr Kumar’s son clarified that Mr Kumar did not own the shop until mid-2024, and was therefore not responsible for the illegal working found in 2023. However, the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) had remained unchanged in the period in which Mr Kumar took over.
Mr Kumar made clear he was not aware of the previous case. He stated that this was an oversight and a genuine mistake for which he apologised.
Cllr Nagpal then asked Mr Kumar how he knows the DPS, Mrs Kalvant Kaur Aujla, to which he said he has no relation and does not know her. A DPS is a staff member who is responsible for the sale of licensed products and must be in the shop frequently. Mr Kumar then went on to say Mrs Aujla has not worked on the premises since he took over.
Mr Kumar was fined £40,000 by the Home Office, and has so far paid £1,667 of this, with £38,333 outstanding. The shop will no longer be able to sell alcohol, cigarettes or vapes as it has lost its license.
This is the second instance in six weeks of an illegal worker being paid in food in Ealing.
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