News story

Cleaners at Regent Street store arrested

Four people have been arrested following a UK Border Agency raid targeting contract cleaners working illegally at Hamleys toy store in central London.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Acting on intelligence, officers arrived at the store at around 7.30am today to check that cleaning staff had the right to work in the UK.

The four, two Brazilian males, a Nigerian man and a Ghanaian woman, were all believed to be working for a contractor, Crystal Cleaning Services.

Employer could face a fine

They were all arrested for immigration offences and the UK Border Agency will now take action to remove them from the UK.

Their employer could now face a fine of up to £10,000 per illegal worker, unless it can prove that it carried out the correct right-to-work checks on their staff.

Assistant director Tony Moore from the UK Border Agency said: ‘This is the latest operation we’ve carried out to tackle immigration crime in central London, and more are planned in the coming weeks and months. Where we find people who are in the UK illegally we will seek to remove them.

‘Illegal working has a serious impact on communities, taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work.

‘It is the legal responsibility of all employers to check that employees have the right to work in the UK. Businesses which operate outside the law should be warned that they will be found and they will be punished.’

Advice for employers

Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit the UK Border Agency website or they can call the UK Border Agency’s Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.
 
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.
 
Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit the Crimestopers website.

Published 10 November 2010