Future of Solihull's Flying Elephant pub hangs in the balance over immigration raid and danger to life kitchen
A Solihull pub is in danger of losing its licence after it was found ‘dangerous’ cooking equipment was being used during an immigration raid.
The fate of the Flying Elephant in Hermitage Road will be decided at a specially arranged Solihull Council meeting later this month after serious safety concerns were raised.
A report for the council’s licensing act panel says that in May an annual gas inspection found defects on gas equipment.
The report says landlord Thwaites, who arranged the inspection, told tenants including designated premises supervisor Nimesh Patel not to use this equipment but suspected this was not being followed.
Rebecca Chambers-Baird, the council’s environmental health officer, writes: “A second engineer attended a few days after to estimate the cost of remedial works.
“It was during this visit they found the appliances back in use.
“The engineer issued four ‘at risk’ and two ‘immediately dangerous’ gas warning and advice notices.
“An immediately dangerous appliance which is left connected to a gas supply is an immediate danger to life or property.”
The environmental health team at the council then discovered immigration officers were making an unannounced visit on May 22.
“My head of service, Louise Baggott and I arranged to attend the premises at the same time as Home Office officers,” the environmental health officer writes.
“Immigration officers arrested two males employed as the manager and waiter.
“An inspection of the kitchen saw all gas appliances including the plate warmer/sizzler, two tandoori ovens, a nine-ring burner, and a low single burner in use.
“The appliances along with the control box for the interlock had been stickered ‘danger safety warning do not use.’”
Pictures showing the appliances with the stickers on being used are included in the report pack prepared for councillors.
On May 30, after all repairs to the equipment had been completed, the appliances were brought back into use.
But the council’s licensing act panel will consider what action, if any, should be taken over the licence at the site due to staff effectively ignoring the public safety notices when they were issued.
The options available to the panel are to:
- Do nothing
- Add new or remove/amend existing conditions on the licence
- Restrict or amend licensable activities or authorised timings of the activities on the licence
- Remove the Designated Premises Supervisor
- Suspend the licence for a period of up to three months
- Revoke the licence
The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Civic Suite on Thursday, August 14.