Prezzo chef working illegally in restaurant

3rd September 2010, 11:51am

A chef has been arrested during a UK Border Agency operation at a Prezzo restaurant in Aldeburgh for failing to have the correct documentation.

Acting on intelligence, officers raided Prezzo in the High Street on 31 August. Immigration checks revealed that one of the chefs was in the country illegally and working without permission.

The 37-year-old Moroccan man, who was using false French identification, remains in detention while arrangements are made for his removal from the country.

The business was issued with an on-the-spot warning that it could be fined up to £10,000 for employing the illegal worker, unless it can prove that it carried out the correct right-to-work checks.

Inspector Cheryl Daldry of the Suffolk and north east Essex local immigration team said: "Illegal working is unfair on honest employers who recruit staff with the right to work in the UK and who pay them a proper salary.

"We are happy to work with businesses to ensure the right pre-employment checks are carried out. But bosses that don't play by the rules face on the spot fines and could potentially end up in jail.

"There are strict rules about which foreign nationals can get a job in the UK, and businesses have a clear responsibility to carry out the right checks."

Related Articles:

• 13 Apr 2011 - Recruitment drive at Prezzo after it purchases Caffe Uno chain restaurants
• 06 Apr 2011 - Prezzo displays confidence as yearly sales rise 15%
• 07 Dec 2010 - Two Berkshire restaurants face fines for employing illegal workers
• 22 Oct 2010 - ASIAN AND ORIENTAL RESTAURANTS CAN TACKLE IMMIGRATION CAP WITH NEW APPRENTICESHIPS

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