A shisha lounge in Harlesden has been fined £22,000 for allowing customers to smoke in an enclosed area and selling tobacco which did not carry the required health warnings.
Cleopatra Lounge in the High Street was handed the hefty fine on Tuesday (Dec 9) after police and council workers went to the premises earlier this year. They visited the business on May 23 where they found customers smoking the flavoured tobacco from the water pipes within the café.
Cleopatra Lounge owner Khadra Abdywahab Yusuf, 33, and Osama Abubakar Abdullah, were fined £2,000 each for allowing smoking in an enclosed space, and £4,000 each for supplying tobacco products without statutory health warning selling.
The company behind Cleopatra Lounge, Kudbale Ltd, was fined £2,500 for each of the offences, and a further £5,000 for failing to register their food business.
The café has a history of problems in the area. Last year Yusuf was convicted of similar offence and fined £8,000. And it is currently closed after being served with an anti-social closure order by Brent Police on October 22, following numerous complaints from neighbours. It will not be allowed to reopen until January 9 next year.
Neither Yusuf or Abdullah were present at Willesden magistrates’ court when the fines were meted out. The offences will also leave them with criminal records.
Brent Council head of environment George Crane said: "This is the second time within the space of a year that the owners of Cleopatra Lounge have been found breaching the law for numerous offences. Smoking in enclosed places damages the health of staff and non-smoking customers and supplying tobacco products without health warnings is irresponsible and illegal.
“The Magistrates have recognised this repeated offending and has issued a very hefty fine. I hope the fine, and the criminal record both people will receive, will deter them from breaking the law again."
