IMMIGRATION officers found three illegal workers when they swooped on a Chinese restaurant in Basingstoke – and the business faces a potentially hefty fine.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited Oriental Garden, right, in Blackdown Close, Buckskin, last Saturday, August 30, at 4.35pm.

Staff were questioned to find out whether they had the right to live and work in the UK.

Checks revealed that three Chinese nationals were working illegally – a 31-year-old woman, who had entered the country illegally, a 35-year-old man, who had overstayed his visa and a 34-year-old man, who was working without the required permission.

The woman was arrested and transferred to immigration detention pending removal from the UK. The two men will report regularly to the Home Office while their cases are progressed.

Oriental Garden was served with a notice warning that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed, unless the employer can demonstrate that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document.

Assistant director Carla Johnson, head of the South Central Home Office Immigration Enforcement team, said: “We will not tolerate illegal working, and our officers carry out regular operations across Hampshire to tackle abuse of the system.

“Some businesses may feel that hiring illegal workers is harmless, but they are wrong.

“It defrauds the taxpayer, undercuts honest employers and often exploits some of society’s most vulnerable people.

“It also means legitimate job hunters are starved of employment opportunities.

“We are happy to assist businesses and advise them on what checks needs to be carried out on staff, but employers who choose to flout the rules will face a heavy penalty.”