TWO Southampton restaurants are facing huge fines after immigration raids discovered illegal workers.

Officers arrested two Bangladeshi men at Jehangir in Winchester Road and another Bangladeshi man at Pride of India in Bedford Place after receiving intelligence that they were not eligible to work in the UK.

The eateries were served civil penalty notices with fines of £20,000 and £10,000 respectively.

Fine guidelines allow up to £10,000 per illegal worker arrested unless employers can prove that correct right-to-work checks were carried out.

Immigration officers say that one Jehangir worker, 26, entered the country illegally while the other, 27, overstayed his visa. They have been transferred to a detention centre pending deportation.

The 50-year-old worker at Pride of India was also arrested for overstaying his visa and has been placed on bail while steps are taken to remove him from the country.

However Jehangir spokesman Shakil Miah denied that the men arrested were part of the business.

He said: “They were friends of one of our staff members and they have never been employed by the restaurant at any point.

“They were not employed or contracted to the restaurant in any form.”

A Pride of India spokesman denied anyone had been detained at the restaurant but would not comment further.

The raids took place at about 5.35pm on Thursday.