A takeaway and its owner have been handed hefty fines after fraudulently claiming £20,000 in COVID support grants.
Ajibola Jerimiah Adenuga, who is the owner of a takeaway food business – which trades under the name Suya Republick – on Chester Road, just outside of Manchester city centre, was last week (Friday 31 May) sentenced at a hearing, and subsequently fined following first pleading guilty to six offences at a Magistrates Court hearing back in November of last year.
The 35-year-old from Eccles benefited from a whopping £17,669 in fraudulent COVID support grant claims, and also attempted to claim a further £2,667 – which would’ve made it a total of £20,336.
Mr Adenuga first made his way onto the Council’s radar after his application for an Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) in February 2022 was declined and subsequently referred for investigation, as it was found that he was takeaway, rather than a restaurant as claimed in his application, and takeaways were not eligible under this scheme as they were not required to close.
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Chester Road in Manchester, where the takeaway was located / Credit: Google Maps
Following the Council’s investigation, it was found that Mr Adenuga had also received a Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) totalling £9,669.21 after claiming to be a ‘sexual entertainment and hostess bar’ when operating as a takeaway.
Mr Adenuga also received a Restart Grant (RG) of £8,000 by claiming to be an outdoor bar supplying alcoholic beverages.
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Mr Adenuga was interviewed twice by Council officers in June and July 2022, and admitted that he had made false applications to support his business.
His guilty pleas therefore saw him sentenced to a 12-month Community Order, 200 hours unpaid work with five Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days attached, costs of £1,400 plus a £114 victims surcharge, and the Court also suspended his personal licence to sell alcohol for two months.
The company itself was also fined £1,000, along with £1,400 in costs under the Fraud Act 2006 for three offences, and ordered to pay a £400 victims surcharge.
Featured Image – Google Maps
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
4th June 2024 
