Eatery faces loss of licence after damaging stairwell

Tian Tian Seafood Harbour in Dundee street. Picture: TSPL

Neighbours of Tian Tian Seafood Harbour in Dundee Street were furious after unauthorised building work smashed a foot-wide gap in a load-bearing tenement wall last month.

Now building standards are set to recommend the eatery be stripped of its licence until the issue is sorted.

E-mails seen by the News reveal officials’ concerns that the work was carried out “with little regard to public safety”.

One says inspectors will be “requesting that the premises’ licence should be suspended and that the premises should remain closed to the public” until a building warrant has been issued and corrective works are undertaken.

Local Green councillor Gavin Corbett said the owners had shown a “blatant disregard” for safety.

He said: “Over the last three years I’ve had a stream of complaints from residents about the way Tian Tian runs its business. However, the latest incident has lifted matters to a whole new level, with cavalier work which put the safety of the whole  tenement at risk. The threat of suspension of licence is not something the council does lightly but the owners have shown blatant disregard for their neighbours and public safety, in my view.”

It is understood builders were inserting a steel beam into the restaurant’s wall when they smashed through into the entrance hall of flats next door.

Residents at neighbouring 173 Dundee Street, where the hole was punched, said Tian Tian had shown “gross negligence with a blatant disregard to human safety”.

One said the ramifications of the “reckless work” – carried out on April 12 – could have been “truly awful”.

He added: “We would ask licensing board members consider the question: ‘Does it take a building to collapse?’ It is our view that a very strong message should be sent out, including the role and responsibility of the landlord.”

Tian Tian previously received a written warning from the  licensing board for hosting unauthorised karaoke and playing amplified music.

Landlord Mohammad Afzal said he was unable to comment as it was a “legal issue”, but insisted the problem was being dealt with. Tian Tian Seafood Harbour – whose licence is held by Tian Chuan Xue – could not be reached for comment at time of going to press.

Councillors will decide what action to take at a meeting of the licensing board on May 30.