Four north-east restaurants and take-aways fined £380,000 for employing illegal workers

Four north-east restaurants and take-aways have been fined a combined total of £380,000 for employing illegal workers.

The Home Office has revealed the names of a number of businesses who have been handed ‘illegal working civil penalties’ – with three locations in Aberdeen and one in Methlick.

The fines apply to employment activity between April 1 to June 30, 2024. The list has only recently been published.

Aberdeen’s Seoul, located at the top of Crown Street, has been ordered to pay £120,000. Of the 260 businesses across the UK fined during that period, only five received a higher fine.

The liable party has been named as Crown Street Korean Ltd.

Meanwhile, Golden Palace Chinese Restaurant in Bridge of Don – owned by Golden Palace 238 Limited – was hit with a £90,000 bill.

Fu Cheng at Main Road, Methlick (Fu Cheng Chinese Limited) has also been ordered to pay the same amount.illegal

Meanwhile, Blue Spice Takeaway at 222 George Street has been fined £80,000. The liable party is named as BWP Aberdeen Ltd.

Penalties for employing illegal workers tripled from February this year – businesses can now be fined between £15,000 to £45,000 for a first time offence, and those caught a second time can be subject to fines ranging from £20,000 to £60,000 per worker.

Four north-east businesses fined over employment practices

After being approached by The Press and Journal, Seoul said that they “didn’t know anything” about the fine.

The manager we spoke claimed they had only began leasing the restaurant since November 1.

Management at Blue Spice said they had only recently taken over the business and implied the fine was incurred by a previous regime.

Golden Palace Chinese Restaurant refused to comment when we made contact.

Fu Cheng in Methlick did not respond to our attempts to reach out.

‘Ignorance is not a defence’

Yash Dubal, director of visa and immigration law firm A Y and J Solicitors, said companies need to be extra vigilant when employing overseas workers.

“These figures show the cost to businesses when they do get it wrong,” he said.

“An employer has a responsibility to make sure workers are legally allowed to work.

“Ignorance is not a defence and if you cannot show you have made the necessary checks you could be facing a significant fine.

“Labour shows no signs of softening the stance against undocumented workers and the higher fines now being issued will put some companies out of business.”