A restaurant has had its licence suspended after its chef was arrested and deported for being in the country illegally.

Il Bacio Italian restaurant in Forest Drive, Theydon Bois, was raided by police and Home Office immigration officers at about 5pm on Thursday, June 30.

The chef, a 33-year-old Colombian man named as Mr Romero in the meeting, was arrested after staff were checked and the property searched, revealing a Colombian identification card.

He was taken away in handcuffs after officers spotted a number of warning signs allegedly indicating that he was a “heavy drug user and seller” and he had allegedly been known to threaten people with knives.

Mr Romero claimed he had been working at the restaurant for “a couple of months”, although his employers were unable to give his starting date at the licence review today (September 19) at Epping Forest District Council civic offices.

Neither licence holder Luigi Funedda nor his wife and “designated premises supervisor” Andrea Funedda were present but manager Antonio Sini attended.

Mr Sini and lawyer Roderick James said the restaurant had not been paying the chef – who was given lodgings above the premises – while they waited for documents showing he could legally work, despite his claims to officers that he was earning £300 to £400 per week depending on hours.

Asitha Ranatunga, barrister for Essex Police, said: “The premises well knew that they did not have the appropriate documents.

“And the other inference is that they knew that they can’t provide it because they knew they employed someone who was working illegally.”

He asked: “Is that the conduct of a responsible licensee?”

The Colombian man first came to the UK in 1999 and was deported in 2007 before returning shortly after, allegedly telling an immigration officer that he entered in a friend’s car.

When joining Il Bacio, which specialises in “authentic Sardinian cuisine with emphasis on fresh and homemade food”, he claimed there were delays getting his P45 and said his brother had his other documents.

Mr Sini said he knew of the chef through restaurants in Potters Bar and Romford and said he was a good cook.

Explaining why he lost his temper during the raid, which happened with customers present, he said: “I got to the place, there were police everywhere – maybe 10 police officers inside while the staff were lined on the wall.

“I said no, we are not selling drugs, we are not doing anything harmful.

“All we are doing is selling food, 10 police officers to arrest a chef… all the staff were at the wall.

“For me and for our place, it was very sorry.

“It is something we didn’t want to see.”

He added: “I never thought he was illegal because everybody knew him.

“I never for one second in my life thought he was illegal.”

Il Bacio was officially opened in October 2013 by MP Eleanor Laing and councillor John Philip, joining Mr Funedda’s other branch in Buckhurst Hill and one other venue in the district.

Mr James said: “They did employ Mr Romero who, as a matter of fact, didn’t have any right to be working here but they did not do that knowingly.”

“There is no suggestion… of there being a history of previous matters,” he added.

The restaurant has already paid a £10,000 fine.

Mr James said: “The penalty, the process… massively reduce the risk of this ever occurring again.

“This is a one off instance and will not be repeated.”

Councillors Richard Morgan, Mary Sartin and David Dorrell made the decision to suspend the licence for three months, or until conditions have been fulfilled.

Conditions included storing all relevant documents for every staff member, including Home Office “right to works” and visas, during employment and for 12 months after.

No new member of staff will be able to start without proof of identification and right to work.

Mrs Funedda was also removed from her position as designated premises supervisor.

Cllr Morgan said: “The designated supervisor has a lack of control and oversight, which allowed this to happen.”