THE DIRECTOR of an Indian restaurant in a Hampshire village has been disqualified from trading for seven years for employing illegal workers.

Mohammad Shajahan has given an undertaking to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which prevents him from becoming directly or indirectly involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company for seven years from December 20, 2016.

Mr Shajahan was the former director of restaurant company Rose Garden Limited (Rose), trading under the name Alresford Indian and Bangladeshi Restaurant, which was situated on Broad Street.

On March 9, Home Office Immigration Enforcement Officers established that Rose was employing five workers who were not eligible to work in the UK.

Subsequently, Rose went into liquidation on April 25, owing £223,547 to creditors, of which £100,000 was the fine imposed by the Home Office.

The Insolvency Service’s investigation concluded that Mr Shajahan failed to ensure that his company complied with its statutory obligations under immigration legislation to ensure that relevant immigration checks were completed and copy documents retained.

Robert Clarke, chief investigator at The Insolvency Service, said: "Illegal workers are not protected under employment law, and as well as cheating legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities these employers defraud the tax payer and undercut honest competitors."

The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, makes employers responsible for preventing illegal workers in the UK.

To comply with the law, a company must check and be able to prove documents have been checked prior to recruitment that show a person is entitled to work.

The public has a right to expect that those who break the law will face the consequences and this should serve as a warning to other directors tempted to take on illegal staff.