Palmers Green restaurant fined for allowing smoking (From Enfield Independent)

Palmers Green restaurant fined for allowing smoking

12:14pm Friday 31st December 2010 in News By Elizabeth Pears

A PALMERS Green restaurant owner who kept his customers happy by letting them smoke indoors has been fined for flouting the anti-smoking ban.

Michalakis Roushias, who owns El Greco, in Green Lanes, is the first person in Enfield to be prosecuted for failing to stop customers from having a cheeky puff.

He was able to avoid a jail sentence but ordered to pay Enfield Council £3612 in costs after pleading guilty to two charges of breaching the legislation.

Councillor Chris Bond, cabinet member for environment said: "We have had complete compliance from traders in four years thanks in part to regular visits and proactive publicity. However, I am sure he and others know now that it’s not a joke when we say 'put that light out'."

Officers had received complaints of people being seen smoking in El Greco over the past year-and-a-half.

Several visits had been made to the premises and patrons had been found smoking prompting them to issue Mr Roushias with both verbal and written warnings.

But he was caught ignoring the advice on March 26 when officers made a surprise visit and caught someone smoking.

At a second visit on April 3, a further two people were found smoking.