Lebaneat in Durham faces review after employing illegal workers

The Home Office has launched a bid to strip Lebaneat, on North Bailey in Durham, of its alcohol licence after claiming staff were working at the business without the right to work in the UK.

The restaurant's operators, including licence holder Ahmed Mohamed Hussein Sayed, also owe more than £81,000 in unpaid fines following previous immigration enforcement action.

Immigration officials have asked Durham County Council to revoke the licence, arguing the business has repeatedly failed to uphold the licensing objective of preventing crime and disorder.

Officers visited the restaurant in May 2025 and said they found two people working illegally in breach of their immigration conditions. Another illegal worker was found at the restaurant at a visit in May this year. 

A Home Office report states: "Whether through negligence, disregard, or a failure to conduct adequate right to work checks, the licence holder permitted both individuals to undertake employment for which they did not have the requisite permission.

"Of particular concern is the fact that this is not the first occasion on which illegal working has been identified at this premises."

Following the May 2025 enforcement visit, Immigration Enforcement issued an £80,000 civil penalty to 47 Northbailey Limited. The company challenged the fine, but the appeal was rejected and the penalty upheld in full. The money remains unpaid and has now been passed to debt collectors, the Home Office added. 

The report adds: "The repeated identification of illegal working at the same premises, involving the same individual in a position of responsibility, raises serious concerns regarding the management of the premises.

"The recurrence of offending indicates that lessons have not been learnt from previous enforcement action."

Earlier this year, the restaurant's operators were hit with a £16,000 food hygiene fine.

Peterlee Magistrates' Court heard inspectors found a dead rat, rodent droppings, poor cleaning standards and contamination risks at a warehouse used by the business, creating what was described as an immediate risk to public health.

Durham County Council's licensing committee will consider the licensing application in due course. 

Lebaneat was contacted for comment.