IMMIGRATION officials have swooped on a care home and arrested 11 immigrants suspected of working illegally.

The officers visited Cedar House at Barham, near Canterbury, and took away the staff members who are from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the Ivory Coast.

It is believed they were working without the required permits at the home, which specialises in caring for and treating adults with learning and behaviour problems.

Spokesman for the Border and Immigration Agency, Nick Logan, said it had carried out an intelligence-led operation.

He added: “The employees did not have permission to work in the UK and the agency is taking steps to remove them from the country.

“Two of those arrested are also being interviewed in relation to offences regarding forged Home Office documents and stamps.”

Amanda Skull, operations director for Care Principles which runs Cedar House, said: “We contacted the Immigration Agency ourselves when we became concerned about the status of some of our employees who were working as care assistants.

“It appears we were duped by some forged work documents and the Agency has given us a clean bill of health and advice on how to spot false documents in the future.”