Nine have been kept in custody pending their deportation

TEN workers have been arrested after immigration officers raided a restaurant in Paddington.

The nine men and one woman were taken in for question after the UK Border Agency (UKBA) stormed Al Shishawi in Edgware Road on Saturday evening.

After officers checked their credentials, nine of the workers who are originally from Egypt, Mauritius, Libya and Kuwait were kept in custody pending their deportation, and one was granted immigration bail.

The restaurant owner now faces a hefty fine of up to �10,000 per illegal worker, unless they can prove they carried out vigorous checks on their worker’s immigration status.

Sharon Flannery, area director for London UKBA, said: “Illegal working is a crime that not only undercuts local businesses but also has a serious impact on communities, taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work.

“Where we find people who are in the UK illegally, we will seek to remove them. But we also want to send out a strong message to employers.

“It is the legal responsibility of all businesses to check their employees have the right to work in the UK and those who break the law can be fined up to �10,000 per illegal worker.”