FORMER Hounslow mayor Darshan Grewal has been accused of ignoring police warnings in the run-up to a serious assault at his wife's restaurant.
The Labour councillor is named in a police report about the Karahi Palace, opposite Hounslow West tube station, which was up before the licensing panel this week following a number of incidents.
Cops called for a review of the licence, jointly held by Brian Gardner and Mr Grewal's wife Gurpreet, after a glassing in which a customer's skull was fractured.
The assault, on February 26, came just two weeks after Mr Grewal was given a police warning following a disturbance outside the venue.
In a statement prepared for the review - which is due to be considered on Wednesday night.
Council licensing officer Lindsay Cornock said: "Police attended the premises (on Friday, February 12) and spoke to Mr Darshan Grewal and his staff and (they) were advised to ensure the function at the premises that night was closely monitored - this was ignored."
PC Cornock's report tells how police were called to the restaurant three times in the two months leading up to the assault, including one occasion when a 13-year-old girl was found collapsed outside drunk.
Licensing officers interviewed Mrs Grewal on January 21 over concerns the venue was being poorly run. According to PC Cornock's report, she agreed to repair the CCTV system, employ door staff and put in a 'trained management structure'.
However, on the night of the assault, according to police, there were no managers or door staff present and employees were unable to operate the 'limited coverage' CCTV system.
"Managers and staff failed to fully engage and take every endeavour to assist police with this enquiry of such a serious nature," the report adds. "Numerous persons, who are all potential witnesses, rapidly fled the premises before the police arrived on scene."
Although Mr Grewal is not a licence-holder at the Karahi Palace, he has included the restaurant on his register of interests. It is not the first time Hounslow Heath ward councillor, who declined to comment, has courted controversy.
In 2006, the Chronicle revealed how his wife had applied to open a lap-dancing club at the old Mystique nighclub, at the same address as the Karahi Palace, in Cavendish Parade.
The former mayor said at the time he was 'stunned' his wife's name had appeared on the application for an adult entertainment licence for the venue, which was quickly withdrawn.
The Mystique had a history of violence, with a council report from 2003 mentioning armed gangs fighting inside and outside the premises, and an incident in November 2002 'which had resulted in a murder enquiry'.
Neither Mrs Grewal nor Mr Gardner have so far been unavailable to comment.
