Man hired illegal workers at Chesterfield firm

Iqbal was convicted of facilitating illegal immigration.

An ex-director of a poultry factory has been found guilty of hiring illegal workers by a jury at Derby Crown Court.

Amjad Iqbal, 41, of Parkfield, Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, was convicted of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration.

Dozens of workers at Chesterfield Poultry had forged documents.

Patrick McCrudden, 44, of Marland Way, Manchester and Catherine Anderson, 54, of Beech Court, Lime Close, Salford, admitted providing forged documents.

All three will be sentenced on 4 February.

The court heard workers were found with forged documents, including Romanian identity cards, the aim of which was to circumvent EU employment laws.

Most of the illegal workers were from Pakistan, Iran and Iraq.

The court heard McCrudden also admitted charges involving Portuguese and Lithuanian passports and a false Portuguese driving licence.

The illegal workers were found after UK government entry clearance officers working in Manila in the Philippines, became suspicious about the large number of work permit applications citing the same employment agency and address.

This was tracked down and found to be a flat above a shop in Chesterfield.

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Pc Dave Chambers explains why illegal workers are a problem in the UK