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Chelmsford restaurant denies it ‘paid illegal worker with food and nothing else’

Chelmsford restaurant denies it ‘paid illegal worker with food and nothing else’

A Chelmsford restaurant says it will “robustly” defend accusations over employing two illegal workers and allowing a minor to sell alcohol. The case against Wood Grill restaurant in Baddow Road, Chelmsford, has been launched after an immigration visit on April 4 which found two Algerians nationals allegedly working at the premises without permission.

However Wood Grill say they will defend their position “robustly” including denying accusations a 17-year-old girl had been serving alcohol without adult supervision. The officers admit there is no proof alcohol had been served. Additionally Wood Grill deny accusations that the business ever remunerated staff with food and that they paid below the minimum wage.

They say that rather paying the staff £70 per day, which is what the case against them claims, they paid £70 per shift of between four and five hours. The business says it closed due to high energy bills. Immigration officers claim the only member of staff who was present at the front of house, behind the bar and responsible for managing the business at the time the officers visited was a 17-year-old British national female – who they say was working in violation of licencing rules. Wood Grill say she never sold alcohol without adult supervision.

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Of the two Algerians, a 28-year-old allegedly had been issued with a six month visit visa valid from October 2022. Officers claim he had been at the restaurant for about six months working 10am to 8pm five days a week for £70 a day. They claim the other – a 26-year-old – had arrived in the UK on March 2022 on a six month visit visa. They claim he had been at the premises for “one to two months” as a dish washer working 48 hours a week on £70 a day but £70 a week was deducted as he lived upstairs above the restaurant.

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The restaurant say they “produced documentation at the time of their employment that would have convinced any normal person of their entitlement to do so”. A statement to Chelmsford City Council, which is reviewing the licence, alleged: “Although the owners stated he had paid the minimum wage to staff, the statements by the illegal worker in this case clearly showed he was being paid well below that rate and in addition, that sometimes the ‘pay’ only amounted to food with no financial remuneration.”

The restaurant opened in September last year. It now has notices on the windows advising the premises licence is under review. Table and chairs and have been removed from the inside. A statement added: “The accounts of payments being made to the staff do not amount to the minimum wage and appear to be made “off the books”, though there is clear evidence to confirm that they exist.

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  • May 22, 2023