The owner of Morley’s in Lewisham High Street has been fined £31,500 over an illegal worker found in the chicken shop.
Patkunan Kandasamy was handed the civil penalty after Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) officers discovered the worker during a visit last year.
The Home Office said the illegal worker told immigration officers he was paid £150 in cash for between 20 to 30 hours of work a week.
The Sri Lankan asylum seeker, who said he also received free meals from Mr Kandasamy, revealed his duties included frying, preparing food and cleaning.
Police said they continued to receive intelligence about illegal workers at the shop after the discovery of the illegal worker.
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When immigration officers returned in February this year, they claim a member of staff ran through the kitchen area, jumped over a fence into a neighbouring property and escaped.
The Home Office has now applied for the shop’s premises licence – allowing it to trade – to be revoked.
In its application for the licence review, the Home Office explained how immigration agents discovered the illegal worker in the kitchen.
The application states: “He was actively preparing food. When questioned, he stated that he worked at the premises and declared that he had a pending protection claim.
“During an illegal working interview conducted in Tamil with the assistance of an interpreter, he initially sought to downplay his involvement by stating that he did not work at the premises but instead ‘helped out’.
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“However, under further questioning, he admitted that he had been attending the business for approximately two months and working between 20 to 30 hours per week on a variable basis.
“He confirmed that his duties included frying food, food preparation and cleaning.
“In terms of remuneration, the subject confirmed that he received £150 per week in cash and was also provided food by the establishment.
“He identified the owner, named as Parkunam (sic), as the individual responsible for payment. He further confirmed that he did not pay tax and did not have a National Insurance number.”
Home Office records show he entered the UK undocumented via Heathrow Airport in October 2021.
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When he was encountered by Border Force officers, he made a claim for protection.
Lewisham Council’s licensing sub committee C will now decide on whether to revoke Morley’s licence at a meeting on September 8.
Police are backing the review application.
An email sent by Shaun Rodway, the licensing police constable for Lewisham, to the local authority says: “I fully support the application to review the premises licence.
“We have a duty to protect these workers and Morley’s were not doing that by paying them minimum wage.
“Members of ICE conducted a follow-up visit on February 27 2026 following intelligence that Morley’s were continuing to employ illegal workers… on arrival a worker ran from ICE officers through the kitchen and escape, which would indicate that Morley’s are continuing to employ illegal workers.”
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Mr Kandasamy told immigration officers he had no idea the illegal worker he employed was not allowed to work in the UK, claiming the man had shown him documents proving his supposed right to work.
However, he admitted he did not have any copies of the documents – or records of the right to work checks he had carried out, according to the Home Office.
He also acknowledged that he paid him less than the minimum wage, claiming to give him £30 for three to four hours of work – and sometimes free food, the Home Office said.
A letter sent to Lewisham Council by the owner’s legal representatives states: “The Home Office review application was originally brought on the basis that our client had unlawfully employed two workers, resulting in a civil penalty of £90,000, being £45,000 for each individual.
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“Our client challenged that decision and appealed to the county court. The appeal has now been resolved by the Home Office by way of agreeing a consent order.
“Under the Consent Order dated 7 August 2026, the civil penalty was reduced from £90,000 to £31,500, reflecting the agreed position that no penalty was payable in respect of Mr F [the other man who the Home Office initially said was also working illegally], while the penalty relating to Mr D was reduced to reflect the circumstances and mitigation surrounding his employment.
“This is a significant subsequent development. The review should therefore be determined on the basis of the position as it now stands, rather than simply upon the original allegations which underpinned the £90,000 penalty.”
The legal letter also said that the incident in February this year involving an alleged illegal worker fleeing the restaurant – as claimed by immigration agents – could not be treated as a further instance of illegal working.
The letter stated: “The Home Office’s own evidence confirms that the individual was not located. His identity and immigration status were never established and no further enforcement action was taken.
“That incident cannot properly be treated as an established further instance of illegal working or as evidence of repeated offending.”
The owner’s legal representatives called on Lewisham Council to reject the Home Office’s request for the license to be revoked.
A Home Office spokesman told the Lewisham Letter: “Illegal working undermines honest employers, undercuts local wages, and fuels organised immigration crime. This government will not stand for it.
“Since coming into power, we have increased immigration enforcement action to the highest level in British history. This has delivered an 83% rise in illegal working arrests and 77% rise in raids.”
The Morley’s shop in Lewisham High Street was approached for comment.