Six Bangladeshi workers have been arrested after they were found to be working illegally in Maidstone the Home Office has confirmed.

It comes after immigration enforcement officers raided the Mughal Dynasty restaurant in London Road.

Four vans were parked outside and officials could be seen inside the restaurant and in a stairway leading to flats above.

Acting on intelligence Home Office staff visited the restaurant at 6.15pm on Thursday night. They were still there at 8pm.

The curry house workers were questioned to find out whether they had the right to live and work in the UK.

Immigration officials then arrested six men, aged between 23 and 35, after they were found to be working illegally.

Two, aged 23 and 26, were found to be working in breach of their visa conditions. The rest had overstayed their visas.

Five of the men were transferred to immigration detention ahead of being removed from the UK.

The sixth, aged 34, was ordered to report to the Home Office regularly while his case is progressed.

The business was served with a notice warning that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed unless the employer can demonstrate that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out.

This could include such as seeing a passport or Home Office document. If proof is not provided, this is a potential payment of up to £120,000.

Speaking about last night's events, which happened in full view of diners Mitu Chowdhury, the Mughal Dynasty's owner said: "We were able to carry on as normal and it has not affected our business."

Richard Lederle, head of the Kent & Sussex Home Office Immigration Enforcement team, said: “These arrests show that we will not ease up in our efforts to combat illegal working and immigration crime. Businesses in Kent should be warned that our officers carry out regular operations to tackle abuse of the system.

“Some businesses may feel that hiring illegal workers is harmless, but they are wrong.

“It defrauds the taxpayer, undercuts honest employers and often exploits some of society’s most vulnerable people. It also means legitimate job hunters are starved of employment opportunities.

“We are happy to assist businesses and advise them on what checks need to be carried out on staff, but employers who choose to flout the rules will face a heavy penalty.”