The operator and director of a shisha lounge in Park Royal that flouted the law by allowing smoking shisha in enclosed spaces have been ordered by a court to pay nearly £5,000 for their offences.
At a hearing at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court last month (30 April 2024), it was revealed that Sahara Lounge, in Acton Lane, Park Royal continually ignored warnings from Ealing Council officers that smoking shisha in enclosed spaces was against the law.
Council officers visited the premises on six occasions starting in 2022 and magistrates heard that the premises was also serving drinks without registering itself as a food and drinks business.
The shisha operator, New Sahara Lounge Ltd and its sole director, Hashim Khalif Siyad each pleaded guilty to three smokefree offences and for failing to register their food business. Mr Siyad was also fined £246 for two offences and the business was also ordered to pay £4,262 for two offences.
According to Ealing Council, in 2023, five businesses in the borough were taken to court for breaches of the Health Act 2006 and Smokefree (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2006 which resulted in more than £21,000 of fines being given.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes said: “This case is another great example of joint work by our enforcement teams to take action on serious and repeated breaches of the law.”
Councillor Nagpal added: “Like the rest of society, shisha lounge operators will be well aware of the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke. It’s now 18 years since the national ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces and workplaces was brought in, and there is simply no excuse for flouting it. We will continue to support local businesses to ensure they act responsibly and comply with smoke-free legislation. If you are a shisha business operator, I encourage you to check out our advice.”
