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What happened on Widemarsh Street ?


Roger

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Have we got any facts about this activity yesterday? I had a Jalsagor curry within the last week by the way ... It was tasty and I wasn't ill ... Also enough left for brekkie the next day ... Obviously workers' living in a shed in the garden is not ideal but I can well imagine it's a bit cramped out of view of the dining area ... 

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Hereford Times News 12th November 2014

 


 

FOUR men have been arrested by immigration officers for working at a Hereford restaurant.

 

Acting on intelligence, officers visited Nine and Nine, on Widemarsh Street, at around 6pm on Saturday November 8 when staff were questioned to check if they had the right to live and work in the UK.

 

Officers arrested four men from Bangladesh aged 25, 28, 35 and 40.

 

Three of the men were detained while steps are taken to remove them from the UK and the 25-year-old was ordered to report regularly to the Home Office while his case progresses.

 

The business was served a notice, warning that a civil penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker arrested will be imposed unless the employer can demonstrate that the appropriate right to work document checks were carried out.

 

That could include seeing a passport or Home Office document. If proof is not provided, the business could pay out a potential total of up to £80,000.

 

The operation was supported by officers from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service and Herefordshire Council’s Environmental Health and Trading Standards. Both partner agencies carried out their own checks on the premises.

 

Claire Portlock, acting assistant director at West Midlands Home Office Immigration Enforcement, said: “This is a warning to businesses either deliberately employing people with no right to work or failing to carry out the legally required checks on their staff. We will catch up with you and you should expect to face heavy financial penalties.

 

“Illegal working is not victimless. It cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities.

 

“I would urge members of the public with information about suspected immigration abuse to get in touch.â€

 

Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can visit gov.uk/report-immigration-crime or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Hereford Times News 12th November 2014
 
The business was served a notice, warning that a civil penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker arrested will be imposed unless the employer can demonstrate that the appropriate right to work document checks were carried out.

 

It’s the 'up to' which is the let off clause isn't it? Can we make it a mandatory £20k fine (per person), not 'up to' £20k, a straight, on the nail, no ifs, no buts, £20k or immediate jail for the employer. Blunt, but we’re being taken for a ride and I, for one, am sick to death of the authorities pussyfooting around this and many other immigrant issues.

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It’s the 'up to' which is the let off clause isn't it? Can we make it a mandatory £20k fine (per person), not 'up to' £20k, a straight, on the nail, no ifs, no buts, £20k or immediate jail for the employer. Blunt, but we’re being taken for a ride and I, for one, am sick to death of the authorities pussyfooting around this and many other immigrant issues.

 

ASBO people get threatened at Court that it's 5 years inside for breaching it. The chap last week who breached his (multiple times) got 12 weeks. Which is 1/20 of the threat he'd been issued with. He'll serve half of that so 1/40 of the threat. You can get 10 years inside for stealing cheese from Tesco and that never happens either ... This propaganda is just hot air spewed out as a deterrent ... 

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That frustrates me when you watch these border agency programmes on the tv and they release someone and ask the to report each week to the home office while their case is in progress, then they do a runner and never report.

 

These groups will obviously be speaking to each other and know the system/risks/fines .... Balancing Act on their part ... 

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Just so you know the background to the raids on Saturday 8th November:

 

Environmental Health had invited UK Border Agency over to speak to officers in October so that we could have a more joined up approach to cases and share intelligence. On the back of this immigration officers raided two Hereford premises on Saturday, as per the Hereford Times article above.

Working with a fire officer from H&W Fire & Rescue Service, immigration officers were supported by a housing environmental health officer. These officers assessed the two premises for compliance with the standards required for ''houses in multiple occupation'. As a consequence fire precaution notices were served and I understand that the Widemarsh flat above 9&9 is no longer used.

The council obviously supports the work of the Home Office immigration officers, but particularly seeks to clamp down on rogue landlords who, it seems, exploit this group regardless of the risks this puts upon the occupants and neighbours.

I have asked that we continue this joint working and these raids until we are satisfied that Hereford and the County's market towns are free from this.

 

Marc Willimont

Head of Environmental Health & Development Management

Herefordshire Council

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Marc - thank you for the update and background. Good to see authorities working together for everyone's benefit.

 

Now, can you tell me why I can't get a response from Environmental Health about the state of an H.M.O near me - emails with photos have not been replied to. You can pm me to take it out of the public domain.

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Thank you for the update Marc , very interesting - may the initiative continue - there has been quite a bit of discussion on the Black Bag / wheelie bin post about HMOs which may not be licensed and are generating more black bags than are allowed in the one wheelie bin.

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