Shop stripped of licence after ‘total disregard for law’ over illegal worker

A shop whose owner had a “long history of non-compliance” has lost its licence after police repeatedly found an illegal worker there.

Today’s Extra in Caistor is owned by Arumugam Kalamohan, who previously was found to have employed illegal workers at his Grantham and Stamford stores.

Police found a man who said he was paid just £6 an hour during the most recent visit.

A licensing hearing at West Lindsey District Council on Friday (October 10) decided the only option was to revoke Mr Kalamohan’s licence.

His legal representatives claimed that the illegal worker was a customer in the shop, and was not working.

However, police told the hearing that he was found standing behind the counter, wearing the shop’s uniform and operating the till.

The man told police he was paid £6 per hour in cash – less than half of the minimum wage – although a letter was later sent retracting the statement.

Police said the shop also didn’t meet the licensing requirements for maintaining CCTV or training staff.

Mr Kalamohan owns 52 shops across the country, and directly runs six of them.

Sergeant Amy Adams, of Lincolnshire Police’s licensing team, said: “The license holder owns many shops. With his experience, he should know legislation inside and out.

“We feel there is a total disregard for the law, and he continues to employ illegal workers.”

She said Mr Kalamohan had a “long history of non-compliance,” with illegal workers found at his Grantham shop in 2018 and Stamford in 2020.

“Why should one employer get away without paying minimum wage and National Insurance when all responsible businesses around them do?” she added.

Ben Williams, representing Mr Kalamohan, told the hearing: “He’s not some gangmaster shipping in illegal immigrants and misusing them in his shops.

“He is extremely experienced, and accepts he should have known better”, but added: “You can’t get compliance perfect across 52 shops.”

He said most of the employees were Sri Lankan Tamil workers that the owner knew personally, and claimed that breaches had been isolated occasions.

A recent report commissioned by the applicant found that everyone at the Caistor shop now had the right to work in the UK legally.

Mr Kalamohan told the hearing through an interpreter that he only visited the shop in person once a week, and relied on staff to oversee it.

The panel unanimously decided to revoke the licence.

Mr Kalamohan has 21 days to appeal the revocation of the licence.