A man has been arrested for an immigration offence after a Maidstone restaurant was raided last night.

Home Office immigration enforcement officers swooped on Indian restaurant Spice Hut in Brewer Street just before 9pm last night.

The 20-year-old Bangladeshi was found to have overstayed his visitors’ visa. He remains in immigration detention pending his removal from the UK.

Staff were questioned to establish whether they had the right to live and work in the UK and a second Bangladeshi man was also found to be working illegally.

He is entitled to live in the UK and was not arrested.

The business was served with a notice warning that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker will be imposed unless they can demonstrate appropriate document checks were carried out.

Richard Lederle, assistant director of the authority, said: “We are working hard to identify, arrest and remove people who are in the UK illegally. Information from the public is a vital part of this work, and I would urge people with detailed and specific information about suspected immigration abuse to contact us.

“Using illegal labour is not victimless. It cheats the taxpayer, undercuts businesses who play by the rules and deprives legitimate job seekers of employment opportunities. There are simple checks employers can carry out to ensure their employees have the right to work in the UK, but those who ignore the rules will face the consequences.”