Counterfeit cigarettes were seized and a man was found to be illegally working in the UK in Southampton.

South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) officers, police, Trading Standards and Immigration Enforcement were in Shirley on Thursday.

A number of premises in the area were visited by the agencies. SEROCU said counterfeit cigarettes and prescription drugs were seized.

The Home Office has confirmed an Iraqi man was found to be illegally working as he had no permission to work in the UK. The business owner was served a civil penalty.

A Home Office statement 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.

“Immigration Enforcement visits rose by 68 per cent compared to 2022 and arrests more than doubled. We are also removing those with no right to be in the UK.”

As reported, Immigration Enforcement officers were seen going into the One Pound Market on Shirley Road.