AN ILLEGAL worker from Nepal was arrested in a raid by immigration officers on a popular Indian restaurant.

The 29-year-old man was arrested at 7pm on Monday at the Bombay Balti, High Street, Frodsham and taken to Blacon Police Station.

He is expected to be deported in coming weeks.

Sian Freestone-Walker, of the Border and Immigration Agency, said: “He is an overstayer whose visa had expired which means we will be working toward removing him.”

She would not reveal where the man was living or how long he had worked at the restaurant.

The raid was based on intelligence gathered by the immigration agency’s enforcement team, based in Liverpool.

Frodsham police officers also attended the restaurant in case there was a struggle.

Inspector Phil Hodgson said: “It was a fairly restrained entry, we attend these things every three to six months and I have never known them to force entry.

“They usually have a list of the workers who have been registered at the premises and who have overstayed their visa.

“There were only a handful of people in the restaurant at that time of night. We have only dealt with the Bombay Balti previously on the licensing side and they have always been very cooperative.”

Chief immigration officer for Wirral and Cheshire, Marie Hennessey said: “We will continue to make it clear to local businesses that we will not tolerate illegal working. By removing this man from the workplace, we have demonstrated that we will act on all information we receive.”

Gill Mortlock, North West regional director for the border and immigration agency, said: “Illegal working hurts good business, undercuts legal workers, creates illegal profits and puts those employed at risk. Our message to employers is simple – if you employ illegal workers you could be named and shamed and face criminal charges.”

If businesses are found to be breaking the law, they can lose the right to recruit from outside the European Union and can face on the spot fines of up to £10,000 per illegal employee.

Nobody was available at the restaurant to comment this week.