Indian restaurant loses licence after raids

An Indian restaurant which was found to have illegal workers has lost its licence to serve alcohol and play music.

The Blue Elephant in Ketley, Telford, was raided twice, in 2020 and 2025, but the owner, Shander Herian, had claimed he knew nothing about the illegal staff.

The Home Office told Telford and Wrekin councillors the business had shown a "pattern of non-compliance" with a long-standing legal obligation to prevent illegal working.

The councillors, who met on Thursday, agreed to revoke the licence and the owner was given 21 days to consider an appeal.

Three illegal workers were arrested in the first raid in 2020, with a fourth arrest in 2025.

A Home Office official said she had heard "no credible evidence" that the issues of right-to-work checks had been addressed.

She said businesses that "undermine the rules" affected those that did abide by them.

Councillors also heard the restaurant was given a civil penalty after the first raid, but it could not be enforced after the venue changed its name.

The restaurant was then fined £40,000 after the second raid but that was currently under appeal, they were told.

The three members of Telford's licensing sub-committee heard the premises licence holder, Shander Herian, who is blind, was also the freehold owner of the property.

They were told he leased it to another man, Shibbir Mahmood, who was also the designated premises supervisor with day-to-day responsibility for running the business.

The barrister representing Herian said his client only found out about the two immigration raids two weeks ago.

He suggested, instead of revoking the licence, a number of conditions should be imposed, including the removal of Mahmood as premises licence holder.

Mahmood told the meeting he "made a mistake" and had forgotten to tell Herian about the immigration raid in 2025.

He had been to Bangladesh to be at a funeral, he added.

The councillors agreed the licence should be revoked, meaning the restaurant could remain open but cannot sell alcohol, provide late-night refreshment or perform live and recorded music.

Councillor Natalie Page told the meeting that Herian "should be aware because the buck stops with the licence holder".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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