A third person has been arrested in a second immigration raid at a Chinese takeaway near Maidstone.

On Friday, March 18, immigration officers used intelligence to raid The Oriental Chef, in Tovil, and arrested a 38-year-old man, from China, for allegedly overstaying his visitor visa.

This came a week after they detained two people, a man and a woman, both from Indonesia, in the same premises, on suspicion of the same offence.

On March 11 they entered the Church Street takeaway and questioned each member of staff, eventually arresting the man, 37, and woman, 29, as neither had the right to work in the UK.

The takeaway could face fines of up to £60,000, as it will be served a notice warning that penalties of up to £20,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed unless it can demonstrate that appropriate right to work document checks were carried out - such as seeing a passport or Home Office document confirming permission to work.

Assistant director Richard Lederle, head of the Kent and Sussex Immigration Enforcement team, said: "There will be no slow down in our efforts to tackle illegal working in Kent. Using illegal labour is not a victimless crime.

"It defrauds the treasury of much needed funds, undercuts businesses who ply an honest trade and cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities."

They have been transferred to immigration detention pending removal from the UK.