A Southampton restaurateur has been forced to close his business of two decades, blaming severe disruption caused by a neighbouring hotel now used to house asylum seekers.
A Business Destroyed by Disruption
Jamie Darby, owner of the Ceno bar and restaurant, says he is shutting its doors with a heavy heart as a direct result of issues linked to the Highfield House Hotel. The Home Office uses the hotel, located directly above his ground-floor premises, to accommodate up to 100 migrants.
Darby explained that his once-popular dining spot thrived until five years ago, when the hotel stopped accepting paying guests. He claims that while those guests often frequented his restaurant, the current situation has driven loyal customers away. "It's impossible to run a business with 100 young men loitering around," Darby told the Daily Mail.
He reported that groups of young men outside the hotel have intimidated patrons, with his 22-year-old daughter being propositioned and groups of female customers feeling unsafe. "I'm devastated, 20 years of my life have just been thrown away," he said, adding that he has emerged from the venture "absolutely skint" after investing personal funds and borrowing from family.
Financial Fallout and Failed Appeals
The financial impact has been severe. Darby states his turnover has halved in the last two years. The closure has cost four full-time staff their jobs, along with numerous casual and part-time workers, many of whom were students from the local university.
Darby alleges he has received no meaningful help from his local MP or police, despite pleading with a senior officer for protection. He also claims to have been locked out of a shared car park for six months and says water damage occurred in the restaurant from sinks overflowing upstairs.
The area has become a flashpoint, with weekly anti-immigration protests met by counter-protests from anti-racism groups, leading to a frequent heavy police presence. Adding to the local tensions, an Afghan national housed at the hotel, Sohail Amiri, 30, this week pleaded guilty to sex offences against three women and was remanded in custody.
Community Reaction and Contested Blame
The closure was announced on Facebook on January 1, 2026, citing it had become "frustratingly impossible to operate" due to issues connected to the hotel. The post, which referred to "over 100 illegal immigrants", prompted an outpouring of support from locals who shared fond memories of the 4.6-star TripAdvisor rated venue.
However, the Southampton Stand Up To Racism group contested the narrative, stating the restaurant's decline followed the start of "sustained far-right activity" last summer. A spokesperson said the repeated demonstrations caused serious disruption and that attempts to blame asylum seekers were "misplaced and unfair".
A Home Office spokesperson expressed fury at the level of asylum hotels, stating: "This government will close every asylum hotel." Meanwhile, Hampshire Constabulary said its neighbourhood team made near-weekly visits to Ceno but no specific concerns or incidents of criminal damage were raised with them.
Darby, who specialised in British food, has plans to relocate and reopen in the spring, hoping to rebuild away from the difficulties that shuttered his original business.
