"Takeaway linked to modern slavery - report,"

A new licensing review report has accused The Flames, Lancaster, of migrant worker abuse and said £40,000 in cash had been found "crammed inside a safe".

It is also alleged that the premises licence holder, Rudolf Collaku, paid a Bulgarian woman to take part in a "sham marriage" to his cousin, and keeping her passport to prevent her from returning home...

Now, Lancashire Constabulary and the Home Office are calling for licensing action following new concerns and investigations.

PC Andrew Taylor recommended the Flames licence was fully revoked, according to documents sent to the council.

The police have listed various incidents and concerns from logs over recent years.

One states: “In 2019, a Bulgarian female contacted police stating she had travelled to Lancashire from her home country and was paid for a sham marriage to a male who was the cousin of Rudolf Collaku.

"Collaku then gave the female a job at Flames where she has been subjected to labour exploitation.

"She states she has been working at Flames for five months as a cook and a cleaner, and she states Collaku has retained her passport to prevent her returning to Bulgaria.

“A warrant was executed at the premises under the Modern Slavery Act, and more than £40,000 was seized from the safe by officers.

"Of note, the safe was crammed with money, over-flowing with cash and flooded with water, and at least half of the cash was soaking, some was rotten...

It found that Rudolf Collaku was liable as the premises licence holder at the time, and civil penalties totalling £110,000 have been issued to the business on three separate occasions, all of which are still unpaid...