Illegal staff found in restaurant

Six illegal workers have been found at a Chinese restaurant in Gloucester following a UK Border Agency operation targeting immigration offenders.

Officers visited the Blossom restaurant on Southgate Street on Thursday.

Three Malaysians, two men aged 39 and 33, a woman aged 24 and a 20-year-old Chinese woman were arrested and are being held in immigration detention.

Two Chinese men aged 34 and 47 who had no travel documents on them are on bail while emergency passports are secured.

Before they are sent home they will have to regularly report to Gloucester police station.

Crack-down

The six were found working in the kitchen and serving customers.

The restaurant owner was issued with an on the spot fine and may now face a further fine of up to £60,000 - up to £10,000 per illegal worker.

Jane Farleigh, regional director of the UK Border Agency in Wales and the South West, said: "We act on all intelligence we receive about illegal working, cracking down on those who seek to profit by abusing immigration laws.

"Illegal working is unfair on honest employers who recruit staff with the right to work in the UK and who pay them a proper salary."