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Leeds: Immigration arrests at city nightclub
A sweep of the door staff of pubs, bars and clubs in Leeds by the council, police and immigration officials, led to arrests and warnings for owners.
Two illegal immigrants working at a Leeds nightclub were arrested.
A Jamaican who overstayed her visa and a failed asylum seeker from Nigeria were held after a raid on The Space Club on Duncan Street, where one was working as a toilet attendant and the other as a glass collector.
The club has now been served with a civil penalty notice for employing illegal workers.
A total of 26 door staff were checked at 13 premises during the operation, which involved the UK Border Agency for the first time.
Jeremy Oppenheim, regional director for the UK Border Agency in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "This successful operation demonstrates the value of working alongside other enforcement bodies to combat those that would seek to violate our laws – be they immigration, criminal or public order offences.
"Let this be an important reminder to those employers who employ illegal workers – we will not tolerate illegal working.
Licensing officials from the council and police officers carry out joint visits every two months to check licensed premises.
These joint operations allow them to work more closely, using each other's intelligence to identify offences and gather intelligence.
All door staff have to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority, which means they have been checked through the Criminals Records Bureau and have undertaken an accredited training course.
Coun Richard Brett, Leeds City Council's executive board member for licensing, said: "I'm pleased that this sweep has worked well – working together with the police and immigration means we can be much more effective, and it is definitely something we will do again.
"By visiting together it also means the burden on businesses is greatly reduced and people can continue to use the city's bars and pubs knowing that they are safe, and that those employed to keep them that way are trained and checked."
Vernon Francis, the new Chief Inspector responsible for Leeds City Centre, said: "We take issues regarding door staff very seriously because they play a big part in helping to keep the city centre safe and in reassuring visitors to pubs and clubs that they are safe places to be."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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