Three Arrested At Camden Pub

Three people have been arrested for working illegally at a pub popular with celebrities including Kate Moss, Pete Doherty and late singer Amy Winehouse.

It follows a UK Border Agency raid on a pub in Camden.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited the Hawley Arms on Castlehaven Road at around 3pm on Saturday 9 February, where they carried out checks on staff to see if they had the right to work in the UK.

They arrested a 25-year-old woman from the United States who was working in breach of her visa conditions, a 35-year-old Mongolian man who had entered the UK illegally and a 28-year-old Mongolian man who had over-stayed his visa.

All three were detained pending their removal from the UK.

The business was warned that it will face a fine of up to £10,000 per illegal worker unless proof can be provided to the UK Border Agency that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out on the three.

Assistant director Steve Fisher, from the UK Border Agency, said:

"This is the latest in a series of raids we have carried out in north London and more are planned in the future. For those who are in living and working in the country illegally there is no hiding place.

"We are also targeting employers who fail to carry out the correct checks on their staff.

"My officers are happy to work with employers to help them make sure they know what needs to be done, but those who flout the rules could face big fines."

Every year, the UK Border Agency imposes civil penalties on hundreds of companies which fail to carry out proper right-to-work checks on staff.

Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/advice-for-employers or they can call the UK Border Agency's Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.

For more information and contact details for Local Immigration Teams in the South East visit:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/your-region/london-se/local-immigration-teams/

Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org.