Six people arrested following immigration enforcement raids at two car washes in Lancashire

Officers carried out an intelligence-led operation at Super Hand Car Wash in Lytham Road, Warton, on Sunday (August 20).

Four people were subsequently arrested for working unlawfully.

The Home Office confirmed they would be dealt with in accordance with immigration rules.

A civil penalty referral notice was also served to the employer.

Officers also found three people were working unlawfully after raiding Handy Wash in Venture Road, Fleetwood.

Airport Car Wash in Squires Gate Lane, Blackpool, was also visited during the operation, but officers found no illegal activity.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “Illegal working causes untold harm to our communities, cheating honest workers out of employment, putting vulnerable people at risk, and defrauding the public purse.

“Illegal working visits are up by more than 50% on last year and arrests have more than doubled, with more people arrested in 2023 than during the whole of 2022 as a result of this activity.

“We are also removing those with no right to be in the UK.”

The Home Office recently announced plans to triple civil penalty fines for employers or landlords found to be in breach of immigration laws.

In June, over 100 illegal workers were arrested throughout the UK in a single day of action.