We have done nothing wrong, says owner of the restaurant hit by Covid-19 closure order
PARTY FOR 45 GUESTS BROKE THE RULES, SAY OFFICIALS
THE owner of a restaurant served with a coronavirus closure order says he will be appealing against the sanction.
Saffron Banqueting Suite, in Oadby, has been shut down due to breaches of social distancing rules which, said officials, meant it posed a “serious and imminent threat to public health”.
The venue hosted an engagement party on Saturday afternoon attended by 45 guests, but the celebration was cut short after licensing officials from Oadby and Wigston Borough Council and county council public health officers arrived to say there were too many people.
The officials left and returned later by which time guests had gone home.
The rules currently allow for gatherings of 30 people at weddings and sit-down receptions. That number will be reduced to 15 from Monday in a bid to tackle rising numbers of virus cases across the county.
Oadby itself has recently been returned to local lockdown as cases there increased.
The councils said the venue had breached regulations.
However, Gurmakh Singh, who has run the business in The Parade for about 10 years, said he would be challenging the order.
He said: “We have been targeted and discriminated against.
“We have a big venue, 4,000 square feet, and it has a capacity of 300.
“We had 45 people on tables of six. It was restaurant-style, all the tables were booked separately.
“Everyone was socially distanced – no dancing, no mixing beyond the tables. You see pubs around here with a hundred people in them not socially distancing and nothing is being done to them.
“They don’t go after big corporations and fast food chains. They pick on small businesses like us.”
Mr Singh added: “There was no tip-off about this. I told the council what I was going to do.
“They came on Friday and said it was okay. Then on Saturday afternoon they came back and said there were too many people. “We have track and trace and we know there has not been one case of Covid linked to us. I will be appealing. It’s not fair.” Gary Connors, head of regulatory services for Leicestershire County Council, said: “It’s important we take action where we are aware of a serious and imminent threat to public health. “We understand that this may inconvenience customers, but we have to put the health of residents first.” The councils have said the order will be reviewed on a weekly basis. A borough council spokeswoman said: “As Mr Singh has indicated that he intends to take advantage of the appeals procedure, where the evidence on which the direction was issued will be tested in court, it would be inappropriate to comment in advance of that.”
We had 45 people on tables of six, booked separately. Everyone was socially distanced Gurmakh Singh, owner of the restaurant