A Southall cash and carry has been fined £30,000 after Ealing Council officers discovered employees were working in poor conditions.

In December 2021 inspectors discovered a litany of concerning violations at Fair Deal Cash and Carry Ltd on Boeing Way.

Officers raised the alarm when they found damaged glass roof panels which they judged to have the imminent risk of causing serious injury and the business was immediately issued with a prohibition notice restricting all access to the area until the roof was repaired.

They also witnessed staff climbing racks to retrieve stock, large, heavy boxes balanced at dangerous heights, insufficient heating, and a lack of risk assessments.

Despite being served a total of four improvement notices, when officers came for a follow-up inspection in March 2022 they found that little had been done to address the shop's problems with only one of the council's concerns having been addressed.

Legal action was taken against the company owner and the shop's manager.

On December 15 2023, Fair Deal Cash and Carry Ltd, and the company director Survir Singh Nagpal pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety legislation.

The manager Raj Singh Alwadi, had pleaded not guilty, and he was found guilty after trial for all 3 charges on March 18 2024.

In April, they were sentenced together and ordered to pay more than £30,000 in total.

This included fines of £18,000 for Fair Deal Cash and Carry Ltd, £2,123 for Mr Nagpal, and £3,184 for Mr Alwadi. The council was also awarded costs of £6,991.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reached out to Fair Deal Cash and Carry Ltd for comment.

Representatives of the shop chose not to make a comment. The council has confirmed that the business has since taken positive steps to become compliant, including appointing a health and safety advisor, since the court decision.

Councillor Louise Brett, the council's cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: "Our enforcement team have, again, done some fantastic work in ensuring that local employers are meeting their responsibilities with health and safety.

"We will continue to support local businesses to ensure that regulations are upheld and employees feel safe in their work environments.

"We will not hesitate to take the strongest action possible against employers who fail to offer a safe place to work for their team."

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