A RESTAURANT in Abingdon is facing a fine of up to £30,000 for employing illegal workers following a Home Office operation.

Officers visited Parasol in Market Place at around 12.15pm yesterday and carried out checks to find out if the employees had the right to be in the UK.

Three workers were arrested from the Chinese restaurant who were all found to have overstayed their visas. They are Indonesian women aged 27 and 37 and a 32-year-old Malaysian man.

The two women have been detained pending removal from the country while the man has been placed on immigration bail and also faces removal if found to have no permission to remain in the UK.

The business was served a notice warning that a civil penalty of up to £10,000 per illegal worker will be imposed unless proof is provided that correct right-to-work checks were made.

Paul Smith, head of the Thames Valley and Surrey Home Office Immigration Enforcement team, said: “These arrests will act as a stark warning to anyone who is in the UK illegally. We will catch up with you and you will face arrest, detention and removal from the country.

“Illegal working has a negative impact on communities. It defrauds the taxpayer, undercuts honest employers and cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities.”

People with information can log on to ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.