Two West Cumbrian firms were fined by the Government for employing illegal workers last year, it has been revealed.
Central Garage hand car wash in Workington and Chattanooga in Whitehaven appear in the list of businesses which were handed civil penalties by the Home Office between July 1 and September 30 2024.
The Home Office published the list yesterday and Chattanooga, on Duke Street, which was run at that time by Alkan Takeaways Ltd, was fined £90,000.
According to Companies House, Alkan Takeaways Ltd was based in Enfield, Middlesex and is in voluntary liquidation. It was wound up in November last year.
It is not clear who owns Chattanooga now as the takeaway is still trading.
Central Garage business, run by Splash Hand Carwash Cumbria Ltd, was fined £45,000.
Splash Hand Carwash Cumbria Ltd was set up in 2022 and is based in Workington. It has one director – Mohammed Abubaker Mohammed.
According to its most recent micro accounts filed with Companies House for 2024, it had five employees and it had assets worth £1,862.
The Home Office report lists fines given to:
- Employers who have not paid or are not making regular payments towards a penalty 28 days after they have exhausted all their objection and/or appeal rights
- Employers who have been served with a second or further penalty once they have exhausted all their objection and/or appeal rights regardless of whether any payment has been made
Employers can be sent to jail for five years and have to pay an unlimited fine if they are found guilty of employing someone who they knew or had reasonable cause to believe did not have the right to work in the UK.
This includes, for example, if they had any reason to believe that:
- they did not have leave (permission) to enter or remain in the UK
- their leave had expired
- they were not allowed to do certain types of work
- their papers were incorrect or false
People can also be penalised if they employ someone who does not have the right to work and they did not do the correct checks, or they did not do them properly.
