The Home Office are calling for a north London bar to be stripped of its licence after immigration officers uncovered two members of staff working there illegally.
The move is supported by the Metropolitan Police, which says it has had to respond to multiple incidents of fights, drug use and loud music from the venue.
Next week, Brent Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee will review the case against Recanto Kings, a Brazilian bar and restaurant at the Sapcote Trading Centre in Willesden, which could result in the premises having its licence revoked. It comes after a number of complaints have been made against the venue and its owners over the past two years.
In March 2025, Recanto Kings was raided by the Home Office’s Immigration, Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) team after it received intelligence that the business owner was employing two illegal workers. The business was subsequently hit with a £40,000 fine but the penalty remains unpaid.
Alongside employing illegal workers, a Home Office report highlights “further significant concerns” about the conduct of the management during the enforcement visit. The owner, Milson Ramos Silva, was described as “hostile, aggressive, and obstructive” towards officers, as well as challenging their authority and lifting their t-shirt “in a confrontational manner”.
Shortly after the visit, a request was then made to transfer the premises licence from Recanto K Limited – where Mr Silva is the Director – to Restaurant Bar Simprao Limited, whose director is Sueliane Chagas Barreto Ramos – Mr Silva’s wife.
The Home Office claims this indicates “an attempt to avoid accountability” and, rather than representing a genuine change in control, demonstrates “continuity of management under the same family unit”.
The report states: “Immigration Enforcement submits that those involved in the management and operation of these premises have knowingly employed illegal workers for commercial gain, have failed to undertake even the most basic statutory checks, and have subsequently taken steps to obscure responsibility through rapid transfers of the premises licence within the same family network.
“The obstructive behaviour displayed during the enforcement visit further erodes confidence in the operators’ ability or willingness to uphold the licensing objectives. A warning or any action short of a review would be inappropriate.”
The move to strip the venue of its licence is supported by the Metropolitan Police, which highlighted a series of reports made following complaints regarding “altercations, intoxication, drug use and nuisance in the form of loud music”.
Reports dating back to February 2025 include logs of people arrested following an immigration visit, people being seen selling drugs at the premises, a man being threatened with a knife, a victim being struck on the head with a bottle, and multiple incidents of “blasting music after midnight”.
It prompted the police to impose a number of conditions on the premises – including that the sale of alcohol should only be done via table service, accompanied by a meal, and containers should not be taken outside. Police said that, despite being given opportunities, the owners have failed to comply.
In a document submitted against the review application, the police state: “The police consider that the continued operation of the premises in its current form presents a risk to the promotion of the licensing objectives, particularly the prevention of crime and disorder. In light of the seriousness and persistence of breaches, the police support the revocation of the premises licence as a necessary and proportionate measure.”
Brent Council’s licensing representative said the venue has “a history of multiple complaints, breaches of licence conditions, and enforcement action”, which they described as “an ongoing pattern”. The Brent Licensing Sub-Committee will now review the case next week before making a decision.
