THREE men have been detained after immigration officers visited an Indian restaurant in Chester-le-Street.

The Home Office said the immigration enforcement officers who visited Cookson Spice on Thursday were acting on intelligence. 

Immigration checks indentified three men who did not have permission to work. 

A 19-year-old from India and a 22-year-old Nigerian were found to be working in breach of their student visas and a 56-year-old Bangladeshi man was found to be in the UK illegally.

The three men have been detained pending their removal from the UK.

The raid happened at about 7.30pm at the restaurant in Cookson Terrace. 

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Where businesses are found to be employing individuals with no right to work, the employer may be liable for a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker.

"This will be imposed unless the employer can demonstrate that appropriate right-to-work document checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document confirming permission to work."

In 2018, Cookson Spice was fined £30,000 after employing four people who were arrested by immigration officers.