Many licensing problems do not happen because an operator deliberately ignores the rules. They often happen because the premises gets busier, staff are under pressure, temporary workers are brought in, events are added, customers move outside, or the business starts operating slightly differently from the way the premises licence originally intended.

If you operate a pub, bar, restaurant, takeaway, nightclub, hotel or any other licensed premises, right to work checks should be treated as a core part of your compliance system. Many operators think right to work checks are simply an HR or employment issue. In licensed premises, they are much more than that.

Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance to licensing authorities. In simple terms, it is official guidance that councils must consider when carrying out their licensing functions. It does not replace the Licensing Act 2003, but it helps explain how the Act should be applied in practice.