Southall Shop Avoids Licence Loss After Illegal Worker

0:00On April 17th, a shop in Southall, West London just dodged losing its alcohol license after getting caught with an illegal worker. Diversity Superstore, on Dudley Road, employed a guy whose student visa expired back in July 2024. He kept stacking shelves and manning the till for about 20 hours a week, even 10 months after it lapsed. Immigration officers raided the place twice first, spotting him working illegally, then again in November 2025. The licensed holder's husband, whose band from the business since 2023 for selling dodgy tobacco, got heated on the phone during the second raid, yelling at officers and claiming he'd checked the worker's papers himself. The family says they got tricked, the worker showed up with what look like legit docks, and they skipped full rights to work checks. He'd worked there legally before, but they fired him once for dealing drugs outside the shop. Still, his dad begged from India to rehire him, and they did, swearing they had no clue his visa was bust. At the Ealing Council hearing, officers pushed to yank the license, but counselors kept

1:04it intact with strict new rules, written rights to work, procedures, staff records for everyone, and always having the supervisor or holder on site when booze is sold. The shop even hired a new supervisor at top pay to tighten things up. Immigration's still probing, so a 40,000 pound fine could hit the business or the holder. For now, Reversity stays open, but they've got to play by these fresh conditions or risk it all next time.