Hot and Spicy on New Street as seen on Google Street View.

Takeaway and shop could have licences revoked next week

A takeaway and a shop in Spalding are facing separate reviews into their licences next week following police investigations.

Lincolnshire Police have requested Reviews of the Premises Licence for both Hot and Spicy in New Road and Fantasia in Bourne Road next week.

South Holland District Council’s Licencing Committee will hear the review into Hot and Spicy next Thursday, June 11.

The premises licence for the New Street premises is held by Mr Rais Abbas.

The report to the committee states: “Lincolnshire Police have obtained evidence in relation to a number of offences, including the employment of an illegal worker, non-compliance with the licence conditions of the Premises Licence and selling food not as requested or expected.”

Lincolnshire Police’s statement to the committee say it carried out a “food test purchase” in January.

It continues: “The premises sold a ham and pineapple pizza (as ordered) which didn’t contain ham, the meat was turkey.

“Mr Abbas was previously warned regarding this in 2016 when a pizza was bought, tested and found to contain turkey rather than ham.

“There is a safety concern regarding the selling of food stuff which is different to those ordered and expected.”

The report continues: “A worker within the premises who was witnessed preparing food and packing orders was found to have had no right to be in the country and no right to work, he was also circulated as wanted for a breach of a court order.”

It also states Mr Abbas had been dealt with before for employing an illegal worker whose visa had ran out two weeks previous.

Concerns were also raised about the operation and adequacy of the CCTV system installed at the premises.

The report concludes Lincolnshire Police Request that the Licensing Sub-committee seriously consider a revocation of the premises licence.”

Fantasia in Bourne Road, Spalding, as seen on Google Street View.

The shop Fantasia is before the Licencing Panel next Tuesday (June 9) after Lincolnshire Police say they found it to be selling medicine that did not have any English written on it and items that were past their use by date.

The owner, Mr Hemen Ahmad, had previously been warned in 2016 about selling foreign medicines, the police stated in their application for the review of the premises licence.

It says on a further visit in January, further medicines without English written on them were seized which included drugs that should normally only be available through prescription.

On the same day, Trading Standards removed 18 out of date ‘use by’ dated products that were on sale in a fridge.

Senior Trading Standards Officer Rebecca Money said in her statement to the panel that the store’s manager “Mr Hemen commented that his customers did not care that food may be passed its date”.

Both of the meetings will be held online over Zoom.

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