'Dangerous' Local Shisha Bars Raided
Highly toxic poisonous carbon monoxide gases were discovered
Police, customs officials and officers from the council’s environmental health team have taken part in raids to investigate activities at two local shisha bars.
The first raid led to the seizure of 104 kilos of shisha tobacco that had evaded customs duty worth around £500,000.
Above: evidence from the first raid
Charcoal burners used inside the business, which is not being identified for legal reasons, were producing toxic carbon monoxide gases nearly 60 times higher than levels considered safe. This would have put customers and staff inside the bar – and potentially people living in the accommodation above the business - at imminent risk of harm.
The shisha bar was immediately closed down and served with prohibition notices preventing its reopening. Further legal action is now being considered by the council’s legal team.
The second raid was at a separate shisha bar where levels of carbon monoxide were found to be nearly 25 times higher than those considered safe. The owners were served with prohibition notices and additional legal action is also being considered. A quantity of shisha paraphernalia including pipes, hoses, mouthpieces and clay tobacco holders (pictured below) were also confiscated.
Two other shisha bars in Wandsworth are also facing legal action as a result of previous investigations by council staff.
Last year a newly opened shisha bar in Tooting was shut down after council enforcement officers discovered that two families living in flats above it were being poisoned by carbon monoxide fumes.
The business in Tooting High Street was shut after fumes from the burning charcoal used in hookah pipes seeped into the residential properties above.
Two young families with small children were breathing in the gas and suffering the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning - headaches, vomiting and flu-like symptoms. All those affected subsequently made full recoveries and suffered no long-term ill-effects.
The owner of this business was only permitted to reopen when he agreed to cease using charcoal on his premises and switch to vaping products instead.
March 7, 2019