Immigration farm raids to resume

Police are planning to resume raids to track illegal workers on farms

The government has ordered a review of police overtime pay after it emerged Lincolnshire Police could not afford to arrest illegal farm workers.

As a result, all police forces are going to be able to claim extra overtime payments for supporting immigration raids.

Home Secretary David Blunkett told the police pay body to review overtime pay rules after Lincolnshire Police and the immigration service asked him to resolve the situation.

Hundreds of foreign nationals were deported after being picked up in Lincolnshire's fields and food factories last year, but the force stopped supporting the immigration service when its overtime budget was slashed.

There have been no immigration raids for the last four months, because the police could not afford to free officers from front-line duties, like dealing with burglary.

Lincolnshire Police says it now plans to resume operations to track illegal farm workers.