THREE shisha bar owners have been fined in the last two months for flouting smoke regulations.

Mahmoud El Omari, owner of Backyard Lebanese Cafe and Shisha Lounge, Blackbird Hill, Neasden, admitted failing to prevent customers smoking on his premises and was fined £750 plus a £75 victim surcharge at Willesden Magistrates’ Court.

He was also ordered to pay £750 in costs to Brent Council.

Council officers carried out a routine inspection and found customers smoking inside. Five of them were issued with fixed penalty notices.

On Tuesday, June 11, Fadi Antar and Yousif Ali, director and manager of Eight and Three Ltd were convicted of failing to prevent smoking in their café, the Maya Lounge, Harrow Road, Wembley. Both men were fined £1,000 plus £100 victim surcharge each and were ordered to pay £435 in costs each to Brent Council, totalling £4,605.

The owner and manager of Casa Del Leione, High Street, Harlesden, Salam Ismail and Saeed Mohamed Abdi, were also convicted for failing to prevent smoking in a smoke-free place. The two men were convicted in their absence and were each fined £1,500, plus a £150 victim surcharge, and ordered to pay £653 in costs to the council, totalling £4,606.

Brent’s head of consumer and business protection, Bill Bilon, said: “Shisha itself often contains toxic materials, such as arsenic and heavy metals, that are extremely hazardous. I hope that these three successful prosecutions, send out a strong message that flouting smoke free laws is a serious offence that we are determined to eradicate in Brent.”