11 March 2013

Six illegal workers have been arrested following a UK Border Agency raid on a bed factory in Wakefield.

Acting on intelligence, and with assistance from West Yorkshire police, officers visited Times Beds, Warneford Avenue, Ossett, on Wednesday 6 March where they questioned staff to check if they had the right to work in the UK.

A 27-year-old Indian man and Pakistani men aged 27 and 30 were found to have overstayed their visas, Pakistani men aged 28 and 42 had entered the country illegally while a 26-year-old Indian man was arrest... ed as an illegal worker.

All are currently in immigration detention while the UK Border Agency takes steps to remove them from the country at the earliest opportunity.

The business will be served a notice warning the employers that a fine of up to £60,000 - £10,000 per illegal worker found on the factory premises - will be imposed unless proof is provided to the UK Border Agency that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out.

Ian Milner UK Border Agency said:

'We regularly carry out operations like this in Yorkshire and where we find people who are in the UK illegally we will seek to remove them.

'Illegal working has a serious impact on communities, undermining legitimate businesses and taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work.

'While we're happy to work with businesses to let them know what checks need to be done on staff, those who do break the law should know that we are out there looking for them and they will face heavy fines.

'We do not underestimate the value of community based intelligence and act quickly to investigate allegations.'

Anyone with information about immigration offenders can report crime on this website, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.