A TOWN centre Indian restaurant has closed following the discovery of a number of illegal immigrants working at the premises.

Jack Spice has not opened since Wiltshire Police reported its management to Swindon Borough Council earlier this year over concerns about crime and disorder.

Signs in the windows of the Fleet Street restaurant say it is undergoing refurbishment, with no indication of when, or if, it will reopen.

The issues came to light when licensing officers conducted a routine check at the premises on June 17.

Whilst inside, PC Diffin noted that a number of offences were being committed under the Licensing Act, namely that the part of the premises licence required to be displayed for customers to see was not on show. Indeed when asked, the manager on site was unable to produce the document at all.

But in addition, and ultimately of more concern to the authorities, was the discovery of four men working as chefs in the kitchen.

When the police checked their details they were found to be in the UK illegally and therefore working without the correct authorisation.

A fifth man, working as a waiter, was registered as an asylum seeker and was not entitled to work until his claim had been dealt with by the Home Office.

The men, all of Bangladeshi origin and aged between 32 and 41 at the time, were living upstairs in rooms above the restaurant.

Their manager, Mohammed Hanifi, was asked to produce proof that the required ‘right to work’ checks had been conducted before they had been employed but he was unable to do so, instead he claimed the paperwork was kept at his home.

On August 29, a panel of councillors met to decide the restaurant’s fate - they had a number of options open to them including varying the premises licence conditions, replacing the designated premises supervisor or ultimately revoking the licence altogether.

The panel’s guidance, set out in law, is that “certain criminal activity should be treated particularly seriously.”

Such activity includes “knowingly employing a person who is unlawfully in the UK or who cannot lawfully be employed.”

With that in mind, the panel decided to enforce the most severe power at their disposal and the premises licence was revoked.

Since going to press, it has emerged that Jack Spice is still operating a takeaway service from its kitchen - an activity that would be lawful with some limitations.

The restaurant, however, remains closed as stated in this story.