THREE people are set to be removed from the country following raids on businesses and homes in a crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Officials from the Home Office said they had acted on intelligence provided in tip-offs about people in East Lancashire who had overstayed their visas.

A number of operations were carried out in Blackburn, including in the Whalley Banks and Whalley Range areas.

In one raid a 32-year-old worker at Freddy’s Chicken and Pizza was detained after his visa was found to have expired four years ago.

He had originally been given permission to stay for only six months.

The takeaway owner was issued with a civil penalty notice and now faces a fine of up to £10,000.

A 61-year-old woman was also arrested at a house in Blackburn, which cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Officials said a would-be groom had also been detained at Burnley Registry Office yesterday morning as he tried to marry a Polish woman.

The 28-year-old Pakistani national was believed to have been trying to enter into a sham marriage in order to stay in Britain.

Immigration enforcement officer Neil Holt said the action was part of a national crackdown, which saw more than 200 premises raided up and down the country.

He said: “The purpose of the day was to disrupt any illegal working or immigration.

“We have made three arrests in East Lancashire, so it has been a good success.

“It is really important people see that we will not put up with illegal immigration.

“A lot of our intelligence comes from the general public so it is vital for us they see we are active and are responding to that intelligence.”

Former Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw said: “These operations are invariably based on information received.

“It is important, but unfortunate, that we have to mount these raids.

“With second and third generation settled communities from South Asia the rate of immigration is stabilising.”

This is confirmed by figures showing a steady fall in family immigration.

The latest figures show Blackburn with Darwen in the UK’s top third of local authorities for immigration.

They revealed that, with 66.5 per cent of ‘white British’ residents, the borough is among the UK’s most ethnically diverse.

Burnley, Hyndburn, Rossendale and Pendle have ‘moderate migration flows’.

Home Offices figures show India provides the most people coming to the UK seeking work followed by Australia, the USA, and Pakistan. China tops the league for student visas with Pakistan and Iran providing the most asylum seekers.

India and Pakistan top the table for immigrants taking UK citizenship.

A number of operations have been mounted in recent years to detain people who have outstayed their visas but the Home Office does not have precise figures about how many may be living in East Lancashire.

Gordon Birtwistle, Liberal Democrat MP for Burnley, welcomed the arrests.

He said: “Well done. Our local Asian communities don’t want illegal immigration.”

Immigration minister Mark Harper said: "Yesterday's operations highlight the routine work we are carrying out every day to stamp out illegal working.

"We are sending a clear message to employers who choose to use illegal labour, we will find you and you will pay a heavy penalty.

"Illegal working undercuts legitimate businesses and is often linked to exploitative behaviour such as tax evasion and harmful working conditions.

"We will not allow the growth of a shadow economy for illegal migrants."