Four women were rushed to hospital after a nightclub accidentally sold cocktails with cleaning chemicals in them rather than salt.
Tiger Tiger in central London’s Haymarket has been fined £120,000 after the women suffered mouth burns when a barman went to an unlit storage area after running out of salt – before scooping an unidentified white powder into a plastic cup before serving it. The group then proceeded to pour it on to the back of their hands and lick it off before downing the tequila.
When the women started to complain to the barman that something was wrong, he decided to try it for himself and also suffered burns. Following the incident, the bar’s owner A3D2 was fined by Westminster magistrates after admitting four health and safety breaches, The Sun reports.
A court heard how the club had failed “to ensure customers were not exposed to the risk of chemical substances”, which were later found to be caustic soda.
After the substance was tested it was found to have a pH level of 13 – a strong alkaline. In a statement, a spokesperson for Westminster Council said: “The court was told the women then licked the substance from the back of their hands and drank the shot.”
They added: “It was at that point the barman knew something was wrong, with the court hearing the women became ill in front of him, leading him to tasting the white powder.”
Councillor Aicha Less said she hoped the “significant fine” and conviction would be a warning to all bars and pubs to ensure it never happened again.
She said: “The shocking details of this case show a lack of attention and proper process for handling toxic cleaning chemicals. This incident shows that overlooking basic safety measures can have the most serious consequences.”
