A West End nightclub has been fined for accidentally serving caustic soda with tequila shots rather than salt, Westminster City Council has said.
Four women suffered burning in their mouths and had to go to hospital after taking the cleaning substance at Tiger Tiger in December 2021.
The council said owner A3D2 admitted to four health and safety breaches.
It was fined £120,000 for "failing to ensure (customers) were not exposed to the risk of chemical substances".
According to the council a court heard the four women went to the Tiger Tiger bar on Haymarket for shots during a night out.
The barman realised he had run out of salt - a key part of having tequila shots, along with a lime slice - so made a concoction in an unlit storage area behind the bar, the council said.
It added the barman scooped what he thought was salt from a container into a plastic cup.
In a statement Westminster council added: "The court was told the women then licked the substance from the back of their hands and drank the shot.
"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."
The council said after testing the white substance in the container, it was found to have a pH level of 13 - a strong alkaline.
Councillor Aicha Less hopes the conviction and "significant fine" is a warning to all businesses to prevent the case from happening again.
"The shocking details of this case show a lack of attention and proper process for handling toxic cleaning chemicals," she said.
"This incident shows that overlooking basic safety measures can have the most serious consequences."
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