An Ealing shisha bar was fined for the second time in one year after the owner ignored a warning over indoor smoking. The owners of Huqqa Lounge in Coronation Road, Park Royal and its sole director Salman Al-Mutteri were fined £5,400 in February last year for failing to prevent customers from smoking in enclosed spaces.
In April, Ealing Council officers and police returned to the premises to find that customers continued to smoke shisha indoors. Officers found that the lounge’s seating areas were enclosed by glass windows and a closed retractable roof. The roof was later opened.
Following this, the owners of Huqqa Lounge and director Al-Mutteri, of Falcondale Court in Park Royal, were found guilty of the same offence at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on November 26. Between them, they were ordered to pay fines and court costs totalling £6,980.20.
In total, the court ordered £12,380.20 to be paid in 2024. Ealing Council says it is cracking down on shisha lounges which flout safety rules.
It has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Shisha is seen as a safer alternative to smoking, but according to Ealing Council research shows one session can be the equivalent of 100 cigarettes.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Cracking down on rogue shisha operators is just one of the ways we are working to keep our residents safe and healthy.
“This is our 16th successful prosecution of an illegally operating shisha lounge in the last 3 years. Businesses have a responsibility towards their customers, and those failing to meet their health and safety obligations should know that we will always take the strongest possible measures to being them into line with the law.”
Stay informed about the latest West London news. Sign up for our MyWestLondon newsletter HERE to receive daily updates and more.