Restaurant owner fined for allowing customers to smoke

The manager of a Turkish restaurant in Brighton has been fined £260 after council officers found people smoking inside the premises.

Ali Cill, 29, manager of Ottoman Cuisine, in Lewes Road, pleaded guilty to charges of failing to stop people from smoking inside his restaurant, when he appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court last week. (April 17)

The court heard that Brighton & Hove City Council Environmental Health Officers visited the restaurant on 10 January following noise complaints. While inside the restaurant dealing with the complaint, the officers noticed that people were smoking and that there were ashtrays on the tables which were full of cigarette butts. Extinguished cigarettes were also found on the floor of the restaurant seating area.

The officers also noticed a woman throwing a lit cigarette in the hot ashes of the cooking area.

Mr Cill told the court:  “On that day it was a client’s party and when the officers arrived, people were smoking outside. It was a private party.” However he admitted he was aware of people smoking inside of the restaurant.

Mr Cill was fined £120, ordered to pay £120 costs and £20 victim surcharge.

Councillor Pete West, chair of the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee said: “We hope this prosecution sends a strong message to those businesses that are flouting smoke free legislation. In Brighton and Hove we will investigate alleged offences and take robust enforcement action for those businesses that fail to comply with this important public health measure.”