A shish lounge in Acton, west London has been ordered by a court to pay thousands of pounds after failing to comply with smoking, licensing and food safety regulations.

Uxbridge Magistrates' Court heard that Sahara Lounge, in Acton Lane, Park Royal, repeatedly ignored warnings from Ealing Council officers that smoking shisha in enclosed spaces was against the law.

The prosecution followed six visits from council officers and repeated warnings.

The court also heard that the venue served unlicensed food and drinks despite being registered as a shisha lounge.

New Sahara Lounge Ltd (the shisha business operator) and the sole director, Hashim Khalif Siyad, of the same address, each pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on 30 April to three smoke-free offences and for failing to register their food business.

Mr Siyad was fined £246 for two offences and the business was also ordered to pay £4,262 for two offences.

In 2022, council officers carried out an unannounced visit at Sahara Lounge to check if it was complying with regulations.

Officers noted that customers were smoking shisha inside the lounge and that drinks were being sold without a licence.

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Shisha pipes from Sahara Lounge in Acton Lane, Park Royal (credit: Ealing Council).

Council officers say the business was given extensive advice and guidance on being smoke-free but, despite previous warnings, it continued to ignore the rules at subsequent visits.

Under the Smoke- free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2006 nearly all public places and work places that are "enclosed" or "substantially enclosed" must be smoke-free from 1 July 2007.

Ealing Council reveals that last year, five businesses in the borough were taken to court for breaches of the Health Act 2006 and Smoke-free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2006 – resulting in fines totalling more than £21,000.

Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council's cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: "This case is another great example of joint work by our enforcement teams to take action on serious and repeated breaches of the law. 

"Like the rest of society, shisha lounge operators will be well aware of the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke.

"It's now 18 years since the national ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces and workplaces was brought in, and there is simply no excuse for flouting it.

"We will continue to support local businesses to ensure they act responsibly and comply with smoke-free legislation.

"If you are a shisha business operator, I encourage you to check out our advice."

To find out more about Ealing Council's advice for shisha operators, click here.

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