A POPULAR Italian restaurant in Newport is facing a licence review after illegal workers were found at the premises by immigration officers.

Three illegal workers were arrested at the Sanremo Restaurant in the city's Caerleon Road when a Home Office immigration enforcement team visited on the evening of Thursday June 6, last year.

A fourth worker fled the scene, and is believed to have escaped through a first floor window leading to a roof.

Although he was not found, immigration officers believe he could have also been working illegally.

Now an application from the Home Office to review the premises licence is to be considered by Newport City Council’s licensing sub-committee next week.

The application says the restaurant’s licence should be revoked, arguing that lesser punishments would be “insufficient to act as a deterrent.”

The three workers arrested denied being employed at the restaurant, but officers said they had just finished serving a table of eight customers.

One of the workers was found in the kitchen and attempted to leave, but he was arrested and confirmed to be illegally present, according to the application.

“Two additional employees were also found to be illegally present in the United Kingdom with no permission to work,” it says.

Immigration officers phoned the premises licence holder, Ardian Matmuja, but the person who answered denied any link to the restaurant, and when asked to clarify their identity, “promptly ended” the call.

Council licensing officers subsequently visited Mr Matmuja who confirmed he is the licence holder, and that the phone number used was correct.

In interviews, two of the illegal workers claimed June 6 was their first day working at the restaurant.

One said they were being paid in cash, but when asked how much, he responded: “Don’t know, he might not pay me at all.”

Another said he was not being paid, but had been told that he would be found accommodation.

The third worker denied working at the restaurant, and said he was visiting friends to play football.

Home Office record checks confirmed he did not have permission to work in the UK.

The premises, formerly an Indian restaurant before being converted in 2018, has a licence allowing late-night refreshment, the sale of alcohol, and playing of recorded music during permitted hours.

Councillors will consider what action to take at a meeting next Tuesday, February 4.

This could include revoking the licence, suspending it, modifying its conditions or taking no action.