An illegal worker has been arrested following a UK Border Agency raid at a Dover takeaway.

Acting on information received during Operation Cleansweep – an initiative with Dover District Council and Kent Police - officers from the agency went to Bamboo and Rice takeaway, London Road, on June 22.

After checking the immigration status of staff, officers found a 30-year-old man from China who had overstayed his visa and was working illegally.

The man was arrested and later released on immigration bail. He must report regularly to the agency while it takes steps to remove him from the UK.

Bamboo and Rice now faces a potential fine of up to £10,000 if the employer cannot prove that the correct right-to-work checks – such as asking for a passport or work permit – were carried out before giving the man a job.

Karyn Dunning, who heads the UK Border Agency’s local immigration team for Kent said: "Every year, the UK Border Agency imposes civil penalties on thousands of companies which fail to carry out the necessary right-to-work checks on their staff."

Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visitwww.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/advice-for-employers or they can call the UK Border Agency’s Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.

Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business in Kent can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime.