A HOME Office enforcement team arrested five suspected illegal immigrants after swooping on three Somerset restaurants.

The Bangladeshi men, aged between 21 and 39, were taken into custody last Wednesday evening after raids on Posh Spice, Britannia Spice and Yatton Tandoori, all in Yatton.

They were suspected of either being in this country illegally or having overstayed their visas.

It was part of a wider operation that saw a total of 139 suspected immigration offenders arrested at locations including London, Durham, Manchester, Wales and Somerset.

A Home Office spokesman said the men were questiioned "with a view to removing those who have no right to be in the country", while employers suspected of using illegal labour could be fined up to £10,000.

Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: "The operations highlight the routine work we are carrying out every day to stamp out illegal working.

"We are sending a clear message to employers who choose to use illegal labour - we will find you and you will pay a heavy penalty'.

"Illegal working undercuts legitimate businesses and is often linked to exploitative behaviour such as tax evasion and harmful working conditions.

"We will not allow the growth of a shado economy for illegal migrants."