Silver King owner faces �20k fine after Border Agency raid

A TOWN-CENTRE take-away faces a fine of up to �20,000 after illegal employees found working in its kitchen were thrown out of the UK.

Border Agency chiefs this week revealed two people arrested in a raid at Silver King last month had since been removed from the country.

The owner of the High Street premises has been told to prove proper checks were made before the workers were taken on – or face a financial penalty.

Officers swooped on the eatery on January 5.

A Border Agency spokesman said, once the immigration status of staff was checked, two Chinese men working in the kitchen - aged 28 and 38 - were both found to be in the UK illegally.

The pair were arrested and taken into detention.

The 28-year-old was removed to China on January 10, and the 38-year-old was removed on February 8.

The spokesman added Silver King now faces a penalty of up to �20,000 – up to �10,000 for each illegal worker.

To avoid a fine, the employer must provide evidence that the correct right-to-work checks were made, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document.

Jane Farleigh, Border Agency regional director for the South West, said: “As this case shows, my officers will track down people who should not be in the country and seek to remove them.

“As well as cracking down on people who are here illegally, we are taking action against the businesses which employ them.

“Any business that takes on a foreign national without permission to work is breaking the law and faces a heavy fine.”

The Border Agency imposes civil penalties on hundreds of companies which fail to carry out legally-required checks on their staff every year.

The agency provides support to employers so they can understand the rules, including visits by staff, and a dedicated telephone helpline and website.

Anyone who has information on suspected immigration offenders can visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/contact/report-crime/.