Immigration officers arrest takeaway staff

The enforcement officers swooped in on the Oriental Express on St Helens Road, Leigh, at around 5.35pm Friday night and arrested two Chinese men who were working there illegally.

One of the men, aged 39, was said to have entered the UK without permission to do so and the other, a 26-year-old, had overstayed his visa. Both have been detained pending their removal from the UK.

Oriental Express has been served a notice warning it is liable for financial penalties of up to £20,000 per illegal worker found, a total of £40,000.

It will be forced to pay unless evidence is provided that legally-required pre-employment checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or an official Home Office document confirming permission to work.

Paul Airlie, from the Manchester Immigration Enforcement team, said: “Using illegal labour is not a victimless crime. It cheats the taxpayer, undercuts businesses who ply an honest trade and deprives legitimate job seekers of employment opportunities.

“There are simple checks employers can carry out to ensure their employees have the right to work in the UK. Those who choose to ignore the rules will face the consequences.”

The raid comes two weeks after a number of men were arrested after being found working at Frankie’s, on Gerard Street, Ashton.

Seven Pakistani men aged between 18 and 41 were arrested. Six had overstayed their visas and the other had entered the UK without permission to do so. All seven have been detained pending their removal from the UK.