STAFF were found sleeping in the roof space of a Bolton town centre restaurant when enforcement officers carried out a surprise swoop.

Now the owner of the restaurant — which has not been identified — will face prosecution.

Inspectors discovered that staff were sleeping in the roof space of the town centre restaurant.

There was no stairway to the sleeping space, and workers could only reach their beds by using a ladder.

Fire precautions required by law were not in place.

The discovery came during a crackdown against rogue landlords, dangerous cosmetics, and safety breaches which were all uncovered during a day of enforcement action in Bolton town centre.

Another town centre business owner was found to be renting out a room above the premises despite previous warnings over substandard conditions and a lack of fire safety.

Housing standards officers are to pursue a prosecution against the businessman.

During inspections of businesses, officers also seized hundreds of cosmetic products, including banned products, that failed to comply with labelling and marking standards.

Some of the products were found to contain hydroquinone, a banned substance that can cause liver, nerve and foetal damage.

The team also seized non-compliant e-liquids, removed mothballs containing the dangerous chemical naphthalene and confiscated items for trademark infringement.

Vehicle spot checks saw four taxi drivers issued with suspensions for unsafe tyres and a further three warnings issued for not having appropriate livery.

The crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour was on September 27, when Bolton Council carried out the spot checks with Greater Manchester Police, the fire service and other partners.

On the same day, council workers cleaned up the town centre as well as issuing fixed penalty notices to litter droppers.

Bolton Council’s executive cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Nick Peel, said: “The people of Bolton deserve a town centre we can be proud of and unsafe trading, building safety violations and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.

“This day of action was part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring Bolton is a more pleasant place to visit and shop by making our town centre safer and cleaner.

“These results highlight the hard work that is going into this project, not just on days like this but all year round.”