The owner of a restaurant which denies being 'uncompliant' and 'problematic' could face sanctions. Sussex Police asked Brighton and Hove City Council to review the licence for Emad Abdolkhani’s business , Persia, in Church Road, Hove. A three-hour licensing hearing about the issue overran its allocated time on Wednesday before any of the parties could summarise the evidence.
It will resume next month. Sussex Police licensing officer Mark Thorogood told the hearing that he went to the restaurant with PC Andre Bernascone and a sergeant and asked to inspect training records. There, PC Bernascone spotted a female staff member through a window using correcting fluid to amend paperwork.
Bodycam footage of the incident was shown in the meeting. Police found dates were changed from 2023 to 2024 on two sheets – and the correcting fluid was still wet. But the sign-off date was unchanged - Sunday, July 30, 2023.
Mr Thorogood said: “Mr Abdolkhani denied knowing his employee had altered the record.” Police also said that they had problems obtaining CCTV footage after someone reported a crime – and the restaurant had historic high readings for cocaine in the toilets. Senior planning enforcement officer Emma Lawrence told the panel that the first-floor shisha lounge did not have planning permission and an enforcement notice would be issued.
The Home Office said immigration checks were carried out in October 2021 and February last year. Officials found two men in the kitchen who di.
