Hotel director banned for seven years

THE director of a Birmingham company which operated a hotel on Blackpool’s seafront has been banned for seven years for employing illegal workers.

Gulam Saber Malek was a director of Bayeswater, which went into liquidation in April 2013, owing £140,000. That included a previous £25,000 fine from Home Office Immigration and Enforcement for employing illegal workers.

The company was found to have again been employing workers who were not eligible to work in the UK, which has led to the disqualification order against Mr Malek.

He is banned from acting as a company director or from managing or in any way controlling a limited company until 2023.

Sue MacLeod, chief investigator of insolvent investigations, Midlands & West at the Insolvency Service, said: “Illegal workers are not protected under employment law, and as well as cheating legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities these employers defraud the taxpayer and undercut honest competitors. This should serve as a warning to other directors who may feel tempted to break the law.”

Mr Malek did not attend and was not represented at the hearings at Birmingham District Registry.