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Family-run restaurant business Aqua Italia has faced strong public criticism in the last week after waiting staff exposed the restaurant's "unfair" and "exploitative" tipping policy.

People who have worked and currently work at the company's restaurants came forward to reveal how they are being made to "pay to work".

The controversy centres on the company's policy of charging its waiters a three per cent levy on all the food and drink sales they make in one night.

(Image: Trinity/freelance Jon Kent)

This means that if a waiter serves a table that spends £500 over the course of an evening, they will be made to pay £15 to the company at the end of their shift.

This money comes out of the waiters' tips or, if they don't make enough tips to cover the charge, from the workers' own pockets.

What's more, financial documents shown to the Bristol Post earlier today confirm that the money earned from taking staff tips is used by the company to pay wages.

The revelation of the policy has led to protests and threats by some customers to boycott the company's restaurants.

Aqua Italia has seven restaurants across the South West, with two based in Bristol. One is on Whiteladies Road in Clifton and the other on the Welsh Back in the Harbourside.

So, who owns these restaurants and which family would condone such a policy?

Ben Smithson, Operations manager - What we know

Ben James William Smithson is the son of founder and director of Aqua Italia, Richard Smithson.

Ben is the current Operations Manager and deals with the day-to-day running of the business including public relations.

He lives in Bristol but went to boarding school Christ's Hospital in West Sussex, described as an English co-educational independent charity school.

The 34-year-old went on to graduate from Cardiff University with a BSc in Banking, Corporate, Finance and Securities Law.

He started working at Aqua restaurant in 2005 and was appointed a director of Aqua Bar Limited in Bath on June 24, 2009, his occupation listed as restaurant manager. However, the company was later dissolved.

Later on in 2012 he was made director of Aqua Italia Ltd on March 1, where he remains.

He is married to Anne Smithson and has two children.

Richard Smithson - Director of Aqua Italia

Richard Paul Smithson is the founder and director of Aqua restaurants and is the managing director at Aqua Italia Ltd.

The 69-year-old businessman and restaurateur lives in Bristol and has been director of 10 companies.

He become director of a company called The Vineyard at Stockcross Limited in 1991, which was based in Clifton, resigning less than three years later, in 1994. At the time his occupation was listed as hotelier.

He became secretary and director of Alfresco Catering Limited in 2000, but this company was dissolved.

Then in 2001 he became director of 28 Caledonia Place Management Limited, again based in the same property in Clifton. However he had switched occupation to being a restaurateur, later resigning from that role in 2006.

In 2002, he became director of The Opera House Limited, listing his occupation as restaurateur.

Aqua Bar in Bath opened and Mr Smithson became managing director in 2007, a year later opening Aqua Bar in Clifton. However, both companies were dissolved.

Aqua Italia Limited was created in 2010 and he become director, which he remains to this day.

In January of that year Mr Smithson became director of Smithson Gallery Limited. He is still listed as a restaurateur but this time, his business was registered at 66 Cross Street in Sale, Manchester.

He resigned from this position in October 2014.

In 2011, he beceme director of Smiths of Smithfield Limited, only resigning in November last year.

Ajith Jayawickrema - Business Development Director of Aqua Italia Limited

Mr Jayawickrema is the founder and director of Turtle Bay Restaurants and founder of Las Iguanas.

Both restaurants were investigated by the Observer and Guardian for having a similar tipping policy to that of Aqua Italia.

The big hitter in the restaurant world is also a non-executive director of Aqua Italia Limited and Tampopo restaurant.

The 55-year-old has been director of eight companies in total, and is still the director of four businesses.

He was a director of local restaurant Grillstock which is currently in administration.