A 28-year-old man has been arrested following an immigration raid at a small village corner shop.

Immigration enforcement officers visited Bunwell Village Stores, following a tip-off suggesting the business was employing an illegal worker.

A 28-year-old Indian man in the shop was arrested on suspicion of entering the UK illegally.

A Home Office spokeswoman said he was arrested on June 1 and will be dealt with according to immigration rules. 

The employer was served with a Civil Penalty Referral Notice, making them liable for a fine of up to £20,000, unless the owner can demonstrate that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document. 

Bunwell is a small village between Attleborough and Long Stratton, with a population of around 1,000. 

Attempts have been made to contact the owners of the shop. 

Following the raid, the Home Office has asked South Norfolk Council to carry out a review of the shop's licence. 

The application is currently going through a consultation process, during which interested authorities can comment. 

A hearing will be held following the close of consultation but a date for this has not yet been confirmed. 

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "Illegal working causes untold harm to our communities, cheating honest workers out of employment, putting vulnerable people at risk, and defrauding the public purse. 

“Illegal working visits are up by more than 50pc on last year and arrests have more than doubled, with more people arrested in 2023 than during the whole of 2022 as a result of this activity. We are also removing those with no right to be in the UK.” 

In June, more than 100 illegal workers were arrested throughout the UK in a single day of action.