• About
    • Ethics policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Ownership, funding and corrections
    • Complaints procedure
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
Brighton and Hove News
12 May, 2025
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Food and Drink
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Food and Drink
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Brighton and Hove News
No Result
View All Result
Home 999

Convenience store under investigation for modern slavery

by Jo Wadsworth
Tuesday 9 Mar, 2021 at 3:51PM
A A
1
Convenience store under investigation for modern slavery


A convenience store at the centre of a modern slavery investigation is accused of paying immigrant workers “a pittance” and putting them up in unsafe conditions.

Councillors heard that Sussex Police raided Saltdean News and found a worker with no right to be in the UK on 16 December, after receiving a Home Office crime report.

Officers also found another illegal immigrant at a premises in Portslade owned by the licensees, Krunal Chandrakant Patel and Kirma Krunal Patel.

Sussex Police asked Brighton and Hove City Council to review Saltdean News’ alcohol licence the same month, and notified the Patels.

But when it revisted the convenience store on 8 February this year, it found the illegal immigrant who had been working in Portslade there.

A panel of three Brighton and Hove City councillors heard the force’s application today [Tuesday, 9 March].

The force’s barrister Peter Savill told them: “On any interpretation, it is a serious case because it concerns the use or employment of staff at these premises who have no right to work.

“The police say this is significantly worse than that. Police believe this to be a case of modern slavery.

“The staff that are employed illegally are paid a pittance and are living in wholly unacceptable and dangerous accommodation.”

Mr Savill told the panel – councillors Jackie O’Quinn, Dee Simson and Theresa Fowler – that Saltdean News was one of three premises owned by the Patels raided in December.

The Portslade premises were not named and the name and location of the third was not disclosed.

He also said East Sussex Fire and Rescue had declared the workers’ living conditions as dangerous.

Mr Savill said: “Nothing has changed. We are used to seeing premises ‘pulling up their socks’ in response to an application for review.

“In this case, the position has remained the same. The licence holders are employing workers illegally.”

He said the situation shows the owners were acting “willfully and intentionally” as police were already investigating.

Mr Savill said there were multiple breaches of the alcohol sales licence that go back to a warning letter given on 13 February 2019.

Details of these breaches were not discussed during the public part of the hearing.

The licence holders met with police in January 2020 to discuss issues with the alcohol sales licence, which continued to be a problem right up until February 2021.

He said: “It’s not often one finds oneself saying the breaches of conditions in this case, bad as they are, pale into insignificance alongside the central allegations.

“In this police case, they do. Standing alone, they would be serious matters.”

Mr Savill said Sussex Police wanted the licence removed as Mr and Mrs Patel are not complying with their existing licence conditions.

Home Office immigration enforcement officer Inspector Elliot Andrews told councillors it was not unusual for businesses to keep employing people when they know they have no right to work in Britain.

He said: “I don’t know why that is, perhaps people are not aware of the severity, but we have had premises visited three or four times where civil penalties are issued.

“The maximum penalty for employing an illegal worker is £20,000 – if we find four or five illegal workers these fines add up.

“Even with premises like that, we return and find the same people employed, so I’m not surprised that police found the same person again.”

He urged councillors to revoke the licence to act as a deterrent to business owners tempted to employ people in the country illegally.

Licensing consultant, Surendra Panchal, director of Personal Licence Courses, represented Mr and Mrs Patel.

He said they had had no trouble with their licence at Saltdean News since they took on the business in 2014, adding that  before 2019 they were “quite good”.

Mr Panchal said the Patels employed the two people in good faith.

He said: “Yes, we have made a mistake in employing people whose documents were waiting.

“There is a mistake. We are not disputing that. What we are disputing is the way the case is put up.”

Mr Panchal asked councillors to consider suspending the alcohol licence for two months and order the appointment of a new designated premises supervisor (DPS), who has day-to-day responsibility for alcohol sold on the premises.

He also asked for a condition stating the DPS would have to complete and pass a level three DPS licensing training course.

The panel heard further representations about the modern slavery allegations in private so as not to compromise the Sussex Police investigation.

The panel retired to make its decision, which will be made public in five working days.

ShareTweetShareSendSendShare

Comments 1

  1. vvv555ggg says:
    4 years ago

    did the “slaves” tell us about it?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most read

Police dog on the tail of Brighton drugs suspect

Bring back recycling centre, councillor urges shop bosses

Women report being sexually assaulted by man on bus

Council property sell-off to face scrutiny

Bus lane to be enforced for first time

Man jailed for trying to kidnap woman off street in Hove

Convenience store under investigation for modern slavery

Two men in hospital after fight in Hove this afternoon

Ed Tudor Pole lets the four winds blow

Burglars target seafront property

Newsletter

Arts and Culture

  • All
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Food and Drink
After Agincourt

After Agincourt – spellbound by soliloquy

11 May 2025
Arooj Aftab triumphs in Brighton

Arooj Aftab triumphs in Brighton

11 May 2025
James Campbell’s Comedy 4 Kids: Reducks

James Campbell’s Comedy 4 Kids: Reducks

11 May 2025
Ed Tudor Pole lets the four winds blow

Ed Tudor Pole lets the four winds blow

10 May 2025
Load More

Sport

  • All
  • Brighton and Hove Albion
  • Cricket
Sussex struggle to make it to day three against Nottinghamshire

Sussex face final day at Hove with Worcestershire chasing tough target

by Frank le Duc
11 May 2025
0

Sussex 284 (90.3 overs) and 256 (79.4 overs) Worcestershire 180 (70.4 overs) and 117-3 (40 overs) Sussex go into the...

Sussex struggle to make it to day three against Nottinghamshire

Sussex end day two in control against Worcestershire at Hove

by Frank le Duc
10 May 2025
0

Sussex 284 (90.3 overs) and 66-3 (26 overs) Worcestershire 180 (70.4 overs) Fynn Hudson-Prentice picked up a career-best five for...

Manager of Brighton and Hove Albion’s women team dismissed after allegations

Brighton and Hove Albion slay Wolves to keep European dream alive

by Frank le Duc
10 May 2025
0

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 2 Brighton and Hove Albion kept themselves in the race for European qualification...

Premier League Match Day 36 – Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brighton and Hove Albion

Premier League Match Day 36 – Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brighton and Hove Albion

by Frank le Duc
10 May 2025
0

Danny Welbeck captains Brighton and Hove Albion as they face in-form Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux this afternoon (Saturday 10 May)....

Load More
March 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Feb   Apr »

RSS From Sussex News

  • Two men charged with stabbing 11 May 2025
  • Man threatens shop staff with hammer 11 May 2025
  • Bus lane to be enforced for first time in 17 years 11 May 2025
  • Two former Sussex school teachers arrested as police investigate sex offences 11 May 2025
  • Man wanted on suspicion of sexually assaulting women on buses 11 May 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy
  • Complaints
  • Ownership, funding and corrections
  • Ethics
  • T&C

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Opinion
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Contact

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News