TWO young men were arrested by immigration officials following a raid on a nail bar in Teesside on Thursday.

A 19-year-old and a 22-year-old, both from Vietnam, were arrested following an intelligence-led operation that targeted Diamond Nails in Stockton.

Shoppers and workers in the busy Dovecot Street area of the town watched as immigration enforcement officers led the pair from the popular salon at around 11am.

The men were arrested on suspicion of entering the UK illegally and are currently being detained at a police station while their cases are progressed.

Diamond Nails has been served with a referral notice in relation to the men, believed to have been working illegally at the business.

The notice warns that employers could face a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker arrested unless they can demonstrate that appropriate right-to-work document checks – such as asking to see passports or Home Office papers – have been carried out.

The immigration officers were acting on behalf of the Home Office, with a spokeswoman for Cleveland Police saying the force had had no involvement with the raid.