Arrests made at Peterborough car wash

The UK Border Agency has arrested two men under suspicion of immigration law violations after a surprise raid on a car wash business in Peterborough.

The public and staff alike were shocked bystanders as UKBA vehicles pulled up outside the FS Professional Car Wash & Valet station on Peterborough’s Padholme East Rd. The raid resulted in the arrest of two Albanian men who were working in Britain without permission and were illegal immigrants.

The UKBA claimed the men, aged 20 and 23, and were arrested based on local intelligence. The agency is now making plans to deport the pair.

Immigration legislation stipulates that the business must pay a fine of £10,000 for each of the illegal employees if it cannot prove that the mandatory pre-employment right to work checks were carried out.

Local immigration officials said that the UK will continue to remain a popular destination for illegal workers as long as illegal jobs are continued to be made available, suggesting that eliminating the practice at the management level was key to prevention.

However, the owner of the car wash hit back at agency claims saying that neither of the two men was Albanian and that one was in fact an Italian man with a British wife. The owner, who did not wish to reveal his identity, said that he always takes full precautions when hiring new staff and that both individuals were entitled to work legally. He also added that one of the men was release immediately by officials. (Alex Braham - emigrate.co.uk)