Councillors have revoked the licence for 06 Turkish Restaurant in Market Street, Cleethorpes
Licence revoked: 06 Turkish Restaurant in Market Street, Cleethorpes(Image: LDR)
Councillors have revoked the licence for a restaurant bar in Cleethorpes after it employed an illegal worker. The Home Office applied for the licence review of 06 Turkish Restaurant in Market Street after finding a woman who did not have the right to work there.
She was an asylum seeker awaiting a decision on her status. Her immigration conditions restricted her to work in shortage-occupation roles only, under which being a waitress at a restaurant is not covered.
The licence holder and designated premises supervisor (DPS) stated they had not knowingly employed an illegal worker. However, North East Lincolnshire Council‘s licensing sub-committee found on the balance of probabilities that it was “a deliberate act, not a genuine mistake”.
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Home Office case for licence revocation
A Home Office immigration officer, Mr Walker, explained immigration enforcement officers visited 06 Turkish Restaurant on September 19, 2025, after receiving intelligence. One woman was found to not have the right to work at the restaurant, and was “observed wearing a green apron and working behind a bar and serving customers”.
Home Office checks confirmed she entered the UK in December 2023 and her protection claim was refused in June 2025, but an appeal was ongoing. While she could work in some industries under shortage-occupation roles, Mr Walker said working behind a bar at a restaurant has never been a permitted role.
It emerged she was the partner of the DPS, Ahmet Ucar, who was the son of the business owner and director of Flys Catering Ltd, Serkan Ucar. During the interview process, the worker said she had worked there since May or June 2025 and confirmed Serkan Ucar was her boss. Serkan Ucar also showed financial records confirming she was issued payslips.
When asked about right-to-work checks, he stated details were sent to his accountant, who confirmed her right to work, but was unable to confirm specific checks carried out. Ahmet Ucar said he had obtained key document details and sent them to the accountant, who confirmed her right to work.
A Home Office check found no share-code check had been carried out, which Mr Walker stated to the licensing sub-committee is possible to do for free on a Government website. “The responsibility to prevent illegal working fully resides on the employer of the licensed premises,” Mr Walker said.
The Home Office confirmed a civil penalty of £40,000 to Flys Catering Ltd in November. He said as of July 23, no effort or communication had been made to the Home Office on the payment of this.
Mr Walker said a compassionate approach was taken during the civil penalty proceedings after notification of tragic family circumstances, and indicated this influenced the length of time taken to apply for a licence review. He stated legal guidance made clear licence revocation for a first immigration offence “should be seriously considered”.
Part of the submitted evidence by the Home Office, a redacted photo indicating payments to the worker(Image: Home Office submitted evidence to NELC licensing sub-committee)
Restaurant’s defence and plea to not have licence revoked
Ahmet Ucar said they “wish to apologise sincerely for the circumstances that have brought us before you. At the time, we genuinely believed that the employment process had been completed correctly.
“We are a small family business, English isn’t our first language, we have very limited understanding of the immigration process,” he said. “We accept responsibility; however, we respectfully ask for the committee to recognise that it was a genuine mistake.”
He also translated for his father, Serkan Ucar’s, statement to the sub-committee. “She was not right to work in this industry but we did not know that,” the business owner stated.
Like his son, he also emphasised that they had cooperated with immigration officers during the process. Willingness to make an implementation plan to pay the civil penalty was indicated.
Both asked for the licence to not be revoked. “If it closes, then it’s going to be really bad,” said Serkan Ucar via his son translating, emphasising the restaurant’s payment of local wages, business rates and council tax.
Part of the submitted evidence by the Home Office, a redacted photo of the worker in question(Image: Home Office submitted evidence to NELC licensing sub-committee)
Councillors’ decision
Cllr James Sawkins (Reform UK – Waltham Ward) asked the licence holder and DPS what was said to their accountant and records of this. Ahmet Ucar produced print-outs. These showed the worker’s ID, while the correspondence was not in English and he translated.
Cllr Trevor Crofts (Conservative – Immingham) asked if a process had since been put in place to ensure employment of an illegal worker never happened again. Ahmet Ucar stated, “of course, everything is a written process.” Asked whether he had evidence of the new employment check policies, he indicated these were not with him, but at the restaurant.
After deliberation, councillors returned and Chair Cllr Robson Augusta (Labour – Park) announced the decision to revoke the licence. “The evidence demonstrated on the balance of probabilities that the premises had been involved in illegal working, which is a criminal offence and breach of licensing conditions.”
He stated the sub-committee concluded “the evidence indicates a deliberate act, not a genuine mistake.” It said it considered revoking the licence as “appropriate and proportionate”.
Mr Ucar and his son were informed they have 21 days to appeal the decision at a Magistrates’ Court.
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