Ealing Council’s food and workplace safety team have recently had two successful court prosecutions against Park Royal ‘shisha lounges’.

On 4 February this year, Mr Nibras Al-Delfi and the company Buy The Way Ltd of Ahwangy, Park Royal, pleaded guilty at Ealing Magistrates Court of four offences, receiving a fine and costs order totaling £4,747.20.

The four offences were in relation to a failure to display a legible no-smoking sign in a smoke-free premise (section 6(1) of the Health Act 2006) and failure to prevent persons from smoking in a smoke-free premise (section 8(1) of the Health Act 2006).

The premises and the business owner had been visited by council officers in July 2017 when it was understood that there was a change in ownership. The business was given both verbal and written advice on smoke-free requirements and compliance.

Despite the advice and the visit, illegal activity continued and two further visits were conducted in May 2018 at night and during the day in August 2018. At both visits the premises were found to be in breach of the smoke-free regulations.

This recent prosecution followed a successful prosecution of a neighbouring business, the Bamboo Lounge, Park Royal, on 19 November 2018 at Ealing Magistrates Court.

Mr Hassan Hadi and the company Bamboo Nights Ltd were fined and ordered to pay costs totalling £12,607.60 for four offences of failing to display a legible no-smoking sign in a smoke-free premise and failure to prevent persons from smoking in a smoke-free premise.

The premises and Mr Hadi had been visited on multiple occasions from February 2017, both during the day and night. Advice on smoke-free requirements and compliance had been provided and a warning was sent in April 2017. Despite these actions the illegal activity continued and two further visits were made at night in April and May 2018 and the premises were found to be in breach of the smoke-free regulations.

Councillor Joanna Camadoo, cabinet member for community safety and inclusion said: “I would like to congratulate the council officers for the actions they took, and continue to take, to tackle this issue. These regulations are in place for the health, safety and wellbeing of those visiting the premises and those who work in them, and action will always be taken when they are breached.”

See more on the health implications of smoking shisha – Shisha smoking can be ‘as bad as 100 cigarettes’.