Seven illegal workers have been arrested following immigration raids on shops in Thornton Heath.

The men were detained after police and Home Office officials swooped on two butchers, a fishmonger and a hair salon in High Street yesterday morning.

Six of the men - three Pakistanis, a Ghanaian, an Indian and a Turkish national - have been transferred to immigration detention and are facing deportation.

A 37-year-old Afghan, arrested at J&J Fish Market on suspicion of entering the country illegally, has been ordered to report regularly to the Home Office while it bids to remove him from the country.

The other businesses raided at about 11.20am yesterday were S&S Halal Butchers, J&J Halal Butchers and Faiz Hair Style salon, all metres from each other in High Street.

The shops will face fines of up to £20,000 per illegal employee unless they can prove appropriate checks, such as examining passports or Home Office documents, were carried out.

Three of the men were arrested at S&S Halal Butchers. They were the Turkish national, 23, who had overstayed his visitor visa, the Ghanaian 29, who had overstayed his student visa, and a Pakistani man, 34, who was a rejected asylum-seeker.

A 41-year-old Pakistani and a 49-year-old Indian man arrested at J&J Halal Butchers had entered the country illegally, according to the Home Office.

A 31-year-old Pakistani detained at Faiz Hair Salon was said to have overstayed his visitor visa.

Jill Smith, head of the Home Office's South London immigration enforcement team, said:

"There will be no slow down in our efforts to tackle illegal working in south London.

"Using illegal labour is not a victimless crime. It defrauds the Treasury of much-needed funds, undercuts businesses who ply an honest trade and cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities. 

"There are simple checks employers can carry out to ensure their employees have the right to work in the UK. Those who choose to ignore the rules will face the consequences."