A popular seafront restaurant has been fined £60,000 and had its licence revoked after it employed three people illegally.

Southend Council’s licencing sub committee considered an application by Essex Police to review Padrino’s licence after it was found three people were disqualified from working at the restaurant because of their immigration status.

The licence review of the restaurant in Shorefield Road, Westcliff, was brought by police on the grounds of crime and disorder.

The family friendly Italian restaurant has been a prominent seafront business for more than 25 years, formerly as Mama Mia’s.

Distraught part owner Stephano Poli, who has been involved in the business since the beginning, said: “What’s the point of working so hard for 25 years?

"What really bugs me is I’ve seen two of the three people they arrested working on a building site in Southend.

"What is the Home Office doing arresting these people and letting them go. What do they think they are going to do other than carry on working illegally?

“We didn’t know we’d done anything wrong but okay fine me £20,000 for each of them but don’t take my livelihood away.

"We are going to appeal but if the licence is taken away following the appeal we won’t be able to serve alcohol.

“We won’t know when we can reapply for a licence. Even a murderer knows how long a sentence he is getting.”

The restaurant owners did not contest the evidence submitted by the police and the committee accepted they were regretful that they had failed in their duties as responsible employers and that there had been no attempt to deceive the authorities.

Nevertheless, the committee said the licence holder “had failed in their duty to comply with the conditions on the premises licence and the licensing legislation.”

It went on to revoke the licence “due to the gravity of the situation”.

Representatives of the police licensing unit and the Immigration Enforcement Office attended the hearing according to newly published minutes of the review held on March 29.