Three Oldham shisha bars and their owners have been fined more than £5,000 after people were allowed to smoke in their 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 brought in an indoor smoking ban from July 2007.
The ban controversial at the time – with pubs, restaurants and nightclubs forced to tell smokers to take the habit outside.
The ban also applies to shisha pipes in all public areas which are enclosed or substantially enclosed, unless 50 per cent of the wall space is open
Here are details of the three shisha bars which were fined at Tameside Magistrates Court on Friday, November 4:
Two Apples Cafe, Rochdale Road
Total costs: £3,230.
Neither the owner, Mohammed Kayali, of Two Apples Cafe Ltd or a representative of the business turned up to court so the case was proved in their absence.
Two Apples 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
Total costs: £698.
Eminence & Co Ltd and owner Mohammed Muhaiminul Islam, 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 Night, Manchester Street
Total costs: £1,510.
The magistrates fined Babylon Night £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, 40, of Manchester Street, was also fined £100 each for two offences with a £34 victim surcharge plus £150 costs.
Council leader weighs in
Coouncil leader, Cllr Amanda Chadderton, 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.”
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