FOUR illegal workers were found during Border Agency raids at restaurants in Bournemouth and Christchurch.

Immigration officials found three men working without the right paperwork at the Wonderful Kitchen and Lounge in Charmin-ster and another man at the Masala Bay in Christchurch.

All four were taken away by the police before being transferred to a detention centre to be deported.

And the restaurant owners face up to £10,000 fines for each worker unless proof is made that they made the right checks.

The UK Border Agency checked workers at the Wonderful Kitchen and Lounge in Charm-inster Road and found two Chinese men, aged 19 and 38, who had entered the country illegally.

A 21-year-old Malaysian man had outstayed his visa.

At the Masala Bay in Christchurch’s Bridge Street a 36-year-old Bangladeshi man was also arrested for entering the UK illegally.

Anthony Yuen, owner of the Wonderful Kitchen and Lounge, which serves oriental food, had to close for a day afterwards to give the rest of his staff a break.

He said: “They said they had the right paperwork at home and they had forgotten it, and kept saying they’d bring it tomorrow.

“One had been working a month and the other two had only just started and all were part-time.

“I will be more careful.”

Ramjan Ali, whose family owns the Eye of The Tiger in Old Christchurch Road, Bourn-emouth and the Masala Bay, said his cousin was taken from the Christchurch restaurant.

Mr Ali said the man was observing as the chef and manager Mamun Rashid had to suddenly leave when his wife was having an emergency caesarean section and he himself was attending his baby son’s circumcision.

Mr Ali said: “The man taken away was my cousin and he was just keeping an eye on things.

“All of us were stressed out and that was the one day the Border Agency came.

“But I understand their point.

“I do not agree with people working illegally because there are a lot of people out of work in this country.”

The UK Border Agency

EVERY year the UK Border Agency imposes civil penalties on hundreds of companies which fail to carry out legally-required checks on their staff.

The UK Border Agency provides support to employers so they can understand the rules, including visits by staff, a dedicated helpline and website.

Kenny Chapman, who heads the UK Border Agency’s immigration team for the South West, said: “Illegal working has a serious impact on communities, taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work and undercuts law-abiding businesses.

“We’re cracking down on businesses which employ illegal staff as well as arresting and removing anyone who has no right to be in the UK.”

Anyone who has information on suspected immigration offenders can visit ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/ contact/report-crime/ For more information on the South West team visit ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/ your-region/wales-sw/local-immigration-teams/