Illegal shisha bar which 'flouted the law for years' shut down as owner slapped with huge fine

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A shisha bar which operated for several years despite not having planning permission has been shut down and the owner slapped with a huge fine.

360 Cafe on Wilmslow Road in Rusholme was first told to stop trading in September 2018. But despite the order and a number of raids by the council, in which shisha pipes and tobacco were seized, the cafe continued to flout the law and remained open for a number of years. Read more: 'It used to be beautiful': The Curry Mile restaurateurs who say it's 'gone so downhill' But on Friday the cafe's owner, Mohammad Bashir, 66, of Upper Park Road, Victoria Park, was sentenced after pleading guilty to offences under the Town and Planning Act 1990.

He was fined £10,000 with £1,170 costs. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will also take place later this month. Coun Gavin White said: "For a number of years the illegal operation of this venue as a shisha bar has had an overwhelmingly negative impact on the surrounding community. "As a council we are entirely committed to ensuring our neighbourhoods are places where residents and legitimate businesses should be allowed to thrive, not be stifled through criminality.

The continued flouting of planning law was not something the council was willing to tolerate, and I am pleased that through the hard work of our enforcement officers and legal team, the owner has finally been held to account. "Tackling illegal shisha bars has long been a priority for the council, with this conviction sending a clear message that perpetrators will be found and punished." Read more of today's top stories here READ NEXT: