A West London café has been prosecuted after it was found to have an illegal shisha smoking den in the basement.

Al-Hamidah Café, in Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge, was fined over the breach after Kensington & Chelsea Council's food team received complaints from residents about shisha being smoked in the café's basement.

The council has revealed its officers visited the premises several times and discovered the breach in February.

Al-Hamidah was handed a £500 fine, ordered to pay costs of £500 and told to pay a victim surcharge of £50 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday (July 2).

The case was heard at Westminster Magistrates' Court (Photo - Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images)

The café's owners had previously been warned they would face court action if they were found to be in breach of smoking laws.

The council's healthy city living lead member Cllr David Lindsay said he hoped the conviction would send a "clear message" the council will swiftly investigate complaints about food premises.

He added: "People are well aware of the dangers of passive smoking and the law banning indoor smoking in work spaces.

"It is disappointing that even with a warning, the owners of Al-Hamidiah chose to ignore this and carry on allowing shisha smoking inside. "

Smoking indoors in enclosed workplaces has been banned in the UK since 2007.