POLICE are requesting licence reviews of two Hereford restaurants where people were arrested during immigration raids.

As part of a joint enforcement agency operation, officers from the UK Immigration Agency and police visited Sweet Chilli restaurant on Bridge Street and Mowchak on Commercial Road, on the evening of July 14.

The visits were intelligence-led, based on information that there were individuals working at the premises who were illegal immigrants with either no right to remain in the country or had entered the country illegally.

During the raids, a 32-year-old Bangladeshi man was arrested from Mowchak and a 36-year-old man, also from Bangladesh, was arrested from Sweet Chilli.

Both men had overstayed their visas and were detained while steps were taken to remove them from the UK.

Police are now asking for the licences of both restaurants to be reviewed by Herefordshire Council's regulatory committee.

Their application to the council states: "The employment of illegal immigrants is defined as serious in the guidance issued under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003.

"The guidance indicates that serious consideration should be given to revoke a premises licence even if it was the first occasion.

"In addition all employers are required to undertake checks on individuals' employment and status entitlement prior to employment as defined under the Immigration Act 2010 and additionally similar checks have to be made as per the Licensing Act 2003, since May 2017.

"The view of West Mercia Police is that the premises licence holder has failed to promote the licensing objectives by undertaking due diligence checks to prevent this matter happening.

"Therefore the licensing objective of the prevention of crime and disorder has been undermined."

A consultation ahead of any licence review will run until August 18. People with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact www.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.