Shisha bars, and their owners, fined more than £5,000 for breaking smoke free law

Three shisha bars and their owners have been prosecuted by Oldham Council for allowing people to smoke on the premises.

When environmental health officers visited the three bars, they found people smoking shisha pipes - even though the businesses should be smoke free.

Customers were openly smoking coal-lit tobacco shisha pipes in enclosed rooms.

The Health Act 2006 prohibits the smoking of lit shisha pipes in all public areas which are enclosed or substantially enclosed, unless 50 per cent of the wall space is open.

Those prosecuted were:

Two Apples Café, Rochdale Road

Neither the owner, Mohammed Kayali, of Two Apples Café Ltd, or a representative of the business turned up to court so the case was proved in their absence.

Two Apples Café Limited was fined £1,000 each for two offences, with a victim surcharge of £190 plus costs of £400.

Kayali was fined £200 each for two offences and told to pay a victim surcharge of £40 plus £200 costs.

Eminence, Waddington Street

The business, Eminence & Co Ltd and owner Mohammed Muhaiminul Islam, aged 28, pleaded guilty to one charge.

The firm was fined £330, plus £34 victim surcharge and told to pay council costs of £150.

Islam, of Waddington Street, was fined £100 with a £34 victim surcharge and £50 costs.

Babylon Nights, Manchester Street                      

The magistrates fined Babylon Nights Ltd £330 each for two offences with a £66 victim surcharge.

The company was also told to hand over £400 towards council costs. 

Owner Ari Ali Dob, aged 40, of Manchester Street, was also fined £100 each for two offences with a £34 victim surcharge plus £150 costs.

Councillor Amanda Chadderton, Leader of Oldham Council, said: “All shisha bars in the borough must operate within the law and they can expect regular visits from our staff to check their compliance.

“If they don’t comply, then we will take action - as these prosecutions show.

“People have this misconception that shisha isn’t harmful, but any form of smoking is unhealthy and can cause serious illness.

“We’d encourage all residents not to smoke.”

The cases were all heard at Tameside Magistrates Court.

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