THE region's new immigration boss has promised to continue cracking down on illegal workers.

Jane Farleigh, the first Border and Immigration director for Wales and the South West, said more staff were being put on the ground to target people flouting immigration laws.

At least 17 foreign nationals have been arrested in Bournemouth and Poole over the last three months, and an office of 30 staff near the port of Poole has been dedicated to dealing with the area's immigration problems.

She added: "We now have our own budget for enforcement and we are carrying out operations every day of the week to detect and remove from the UK those people who break the rules.

"We are also naming and shaming businesses which employ illegal workers and are beginning to see success brought about by our new regional focus. Dishonest employers have nowhere to hide."

The increased focus has come about with a new regional immigration system, The Border and Immigration Agency.

Spawned by the Home Office in April, it introduced six regional operations to put a more local emphasis on tackling workers who have no right to be here.

Police officers are seconded with the agency to help them to deal with immigrants who have committed fraud in order to obtain bank accounts or other services, and instances of organised crime, such as people trafficking.

A spokesman for the South West region said: "We have always had this process in place but it has been stepped up since regionalisation.

"There have been more operations and more prose-cutions since April 1 when we took over from the Home Office."

He added: "Poole has always been a major cross-Channel port and Bournemouth is a fairly cosmopolitan town with a lot of language schools. We need that presence because of the character of the area."

In August three people were arrested in raids on a hair- dressers and a restaurant in Charminster, Bournemouth.

The following month five Chinese nationals were arrested in the Sandbanks area after an operation targeting illegal harvesting of shellfish in Poole Harbour.

And in October immigration officers raided two takeaways, detaining nine Malaysian nationals aged 25 to 35.

l Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.