A kebab restaurant in Twickenham has been saved after a licensing sub-committee decided it could keep its licence subject to conditions.

In September, immigration officers found two people working illegally in London Kebabs in London Road.

They were arrested and released on bail.

The two men, one from Syria and the other from Egypt, had given the owner fake identity cards from Belgium and France respectively.

During their time at the restaurant, the workers were paying tax and national insurance.

Manager Hassan El-Zeftawy said: “I’m feeling much better now.

“I hadn’t done anything wrong.

“It really affected business- they put a notice in my window.”

The licence approval is subject to two conditions; the owner must produce documents to prove workers have a valid visa immediately when asked by immigration officers and must have an up-to-date record of hours worked.

The decision was made at a licensing sub-committee meeting on November 22.

This is the third time this month that Richmond Council has reviewed a restaurant’s licence because of illegal workers.

A council spokesman said: “The council, as licensing authority, is responsible for determining complete applications. In this case that is an application for the review of a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 submitted by a responsible authority or an interested party.

“Specific enforcement linked to immigration matters is the responsibility of Home Office Immigration Enforcement.”

The Home Office has been contacted for comment and will get back as soon as possible.