Iconic London bar served caustic soda with tequila shots instead of salt

London nightclub Tiger Tiger has been fined £120,000 after a bartender accidentally served customers caustic soda instead of salt with their tequila shots.

Four women were hospitalised after ingesting the cleaning substance during a night out on December 7, 202.

After going to the bar for tequila shots, the barman lined up their drinks but realised they were out of salt- a key accompaniment to the drink, along with a slice of lemon- and went to the back to fetch some.

But according to Westminster City Council, who filed a health and safety prosecution against the club, the barman made a horrifying mix-up when he went to an unlit storage room to fetch some more, using a disposable plastic cup to scoop what he believed was salt but was actually caustic soda from a large white container on a shelf.

The customers poured the white substance onto the back of their hands, licked it and drank the shot.

They then immediately became seriously ill in front of him, complaining of a burning sensation in their mouths and vomiting profusely.

Realising something was wrong, the barman tasted the white power and burned his own mouth and tongue on the substance, which contains high levels of alkaline.

The women were then given water to help with the burning and were taken to hospital for treatment. 

Police were also called to the scene and discovered the container full of caustic soda.

During a hearing at Westminster magistrates court last week, Tiger Tiger owners A3D2 Limited pleaded guilty to four health and safety breaches, by ‘failing to ensure (customers) were not exposed to the risk of chemical substances’.

The firm was ordered to pay £120,000 over the incident.

Councillor Aicha Less, the council’s Deputy Leader who is in charge of communities, public protection and licensing, 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.

‘We hope the significant fine awarded in court acts to all businesses as a warning, preventing this from ever happening again.

‘Westminster City Council’s Health and Safety Team will continue to work with all businesses in the city to make sure the highest levels of health and safety are consistently maintained, and staff are educated in safe practice.’

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