FOUR illegal immigrants were arrested by border force officers after a raid on an award-winning Indian restaurant in Rayleigh.

The UK Border Force arrested four Bangladeshi men at the Mango Lounge, in High Street, with efforts now being made to deport them.

The officers found a 36-yearold had entered the UK illegally, a 33-year-old and a 23-year-old had overstayed their visas and a second 23-year-old was working in breach of his visa conditions.

All the men were released on bail.

The restaurant could now face an £80,000 fine – £20,000 for each illegal worker – should it not be able to demonstrate appropriate pre-employment checks, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document, were carried out.

Abu Khair, manager of the restaurant, said: “We have got paperwork they gave to us to prove they have the right to stay.

We will be taking this court.

“If it was a big thing then why did they not take them away with them?

“We cannot check their details onaHome Office system, but the paperwork they provided us assured us they can work legally.

“One of them had only done four hours with us on Friday. We asked him to come in and show us what he could do as a waiter – we liked him, so told him to go away and get his paperwork to us, so he could start next week.

“I am not thinking about a fine because I know for a fact I have the right paperwork.”

The restaurant picked up an Asian curry award in 2013.

While on bail the men must report regularly to the Home Office as work continues to remove them from the country.

Robert Gambrill, from Home Office immigration enforcement, said this latest operation shows it is working hard to arrest and remove abusers of the UK’s immigration system.

He said: “Using illegal labour is not a victimless crime. It cheats the taxpayer, undercuts businesses who ply an honest trade 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.

“Those who choose to ignore the rules will face the consequences.

I would urge anyone with detailed and specific information about suspected immigration abuse to contact us.”