A CHINESE takeaway in Ponteland was targeted as part of an Immigration Enforcement operation which saw six people detained by police.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited Merton Way Chinese takeaway on Merton Road at 10pm on Friday.

A 31-year-old Chinese man who was found to have overstayed his visa was ordered to report regularly to Home Office officials while his case is progressed.

Four men from Bangladesh aged 27, 28, 32 and 34 who had all overstayed their visas were found at the Miveshi Restaurant in Alnwick Market Place.

The were detained while steps are taken to remove them from the UK.

In Blyth, a man aged 48 and a woman aged 32, both Chinese nationals, were arrested at the China Cook premises on Waterloo Road.

The woman had overstayed her visa and the man had entered the UK illegally. Both are detained pending their removal from the UK.

A further business in Berwick was visited but no arrests were made.

The visits, supported by Northumbria Police, were part of the ongoing Operation Kestrel which sees Immigration Enforcement working with the region's three police forces to target foreign criminals and immigration offenders, as well as safeguarding any potential victims of trafficking or slavery.

Miveshi Restaurant has been served a referral 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 right-to-work document checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document confirming permission to work.

There was no evidence that the individuals arrested in Ponteland or Blyth were working and so neither business was issued with an illegal working financial penalty.

David Harris, Immigration Enforcement assistant director, said: "Illegal working is not harmless - it cheats the taxpayer, negatively affects the wages of lawful workers and allows rogue employers to undercut legitimate businesses.

"All of our operations are intelligence led and I would encourage people with detailed and specific information about illegal immigration to contact us."

People with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on (0800) 555 111.