Middlewich town centre takeaway fined for illegal worker

Blue Ginger, on Wheelock Street, has to hand over £45,000 to the Home Office's Immigration Enforcement.

According to an updated website last week the town centre takeaway was fined for employing an illegal worker at the premises at some point between January this year and March this year.

The fines are for those who do know the immigration status of staff and do not act accordingly or those who do not know the immigration status of staff as they do not do the correct checks.

The Immigration Enforcement website said: "Working in the UK without the requisite permission ('illegal working')... provides the practical means for migrants to remain in the UK unlawfully."

Throughout the UK almost 300 firms were fined a total of almost £20m for employing an unspecified number of illegal workers at some point between January this year and March this year.

The maximum penalty for a first offence in a three-year period is £45,000 per illegal worker and the maximum penalty for a further offence in a three-year period is £60,000 per illegal worker.

If any fines are unpaid there is the possibility of proceedings in the civil court.

For information go to www.gov.uk/penalties-for-employing-illegal-workers/.