Southall Pub Fined for Failing to Deal with Infestations

Investigations into the Old Oak Tree began three years ago

The Old Oak Tree Pub in Southall

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August 20, 2026

A Southall pub and its director have been ordered to pay around £17,000 after a court found they had repeatedly failed to deal with bedbugs, cockroaches and safety hazards, despite months of warnings and formal enforcement action from Ealing Council. Old Oak Tree Pub Ltd, which operates the Old Oak Tree Pub on The Common, and its director, Darshan Singh Grewal, of Laburnum Grove, Hounslow, pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 28 July following a long-running investigation triggered by public complaints.

Council officers began looking into the venue in 2023 after reports of poor conditions. During several inspections of the pub and its guest accommodation, they found bedbugs in bedrooms, cockroaches in the kitchen, and a series of hazards that posed slip, trip and fall risks. Officers issued advice, warning letters and legal notices requiring improvements, but follow-up visits continued to uncover the same problems. Magistrates heard that the company failed to comply with a Health and Safety Improvement Notice relating to dangerous conditions, and both the company and Mr Grewal admitted two offences under the Public Health Act for failing to remedy the pest infestations.

The court noted that the defendants had been given multiple opportunities to put matters right but had not done so. Old Oak Tree Pub Ltd was fined £4,800 and Mr Grewal £4,000. A victim surcharge of £3,200 and prosecution costs of £5,000 brought the total penalty to approximately £17,000. As a result of the conviction, Mr Grewal now has a criminal record.

Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, cabinet member for decent living incomes, said businesses had a clear legal responsibility to provide safe and hygienic environments. She said officers had found repeated failures over a long period of time, despite advice and several opportunities to address the problems, and warned that the council would not hesitate to take enforcement action where public health or safety was at risk. Residents or workers with concerns about health and safety at local businesses are encouraged to contact the council’s health and safety team or the Health and Safety Executive.

The case comes only months after the Old Oak Tree was sanctioned for a separate series of serious breaches. In March this year, the pub and hotel had its licence suspended for three months following a licensing and immigration raid. Officers executed a warrant in November 2025 after intelligence suggested the venue was opening after hours to host illegal dancers and workers. Multiple individuals in breach of visa conditions were found renting rooms for months at a time, paying £500 per month. Outside, officers encountered a group of men described as evidently using drugs and drinking alcohol. Their behaviour was so aggressive that police called for backup. After the group was moved on, officers discovered a large machete. Five people were arrested.

The venue has a long history of problems with authorities. In November 2019, officers responding to a complaint found naked women dancing for a male customer, while others in lingerie openly discussed charging £10 for naked dances. An unregistered door supervisor admitted taking entrance fees without holding an SIA licence. During the 2025 raid, officers also found three people living in a caravan rented from Mrs Grewal, all overstayers or in breach of visa conditions. In November 2023, immigration officers found that every hotel room checked contained immigration offenders, and discovered an opened room with 15 suitcases belonging to recent arrivals. Nine people were arrested.

Noise complaints have also been persistent. In 2025, officers had to visit the pub seven times. During one visit in September, they found multiple groups outside doing balloons and drinking alcohol, and customers doing balloons in their cars. The licensing subcommittee has previously heard that online reviews mentioned bedbugs, with Mrs Grewal acknowledging the issue and claiming an exterminator had been brought in.

Despite the catalogue of breaches, the Old Oak Tree was allowed to keep its licence after the three-month suspension, but only under strict new conditions. The venue must operate without a smoking shelter, keep doors and windows closed after 9pm, and follow a written noise management plan. The council also required an improvement plan to be put in place.