IMMIGRATION officials swooped on a Southampton business after receiving a tip-off illegal workers were being employed there.

A team of 11 Border Agency officers descended on the clothes manufacturer in Newtown yesterday as part of a pre-planned intelligence-led operation.

The team, which arrived in unmarked vans, spent around an hour and a half at ABS Clothing in Durnford Road, interviewing staff and checking their documentation.

Bosses at the firm have been told they could face fines of up to £10,000 for each person found working there without the necessary permissions.

Residents living nearby and passers-by in the quiet street looked on as officers guarded the business, which is in an end of terrace house converted into a textiles factory, while colleagues talked to those inside.

Two workers, both originally from India, were detained in the raid after it was discovered they were not eligible to work in the UK.

A 29-year-old woman was found to have stayed in the country beyond the time permitted by her visa, while a 27-year-old man was awaiting an outcome for an application to stay in Britain.

Immigration officer Ian Harrison, from the Border Agency's Hampshire and Isle of Wight enforcement team said afterwards it is vital people report any suspicions over illegal workers.

He said: “Today's operation came about through separate amounts of intelligence received, the majority from the public, about unlawful working at the premises.

“The majority of our visits are mounted on information received from the British public. In this time of recession, everyone has an interest that the persons being employed are entitled to be employed.”