A SHOP owner has been fined £5,000 after employing an illegal worker.

Mohammed Aftab, who runs the Super Value Market in Branch Road, Burnley, has been hit with the penalty following an inspection by officials from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) earlier this year.

No further details about the offence have been released. However, the UKBA disciplines shops, takeaways and other businesses if they employ immigrants without the right paperwork.

A spokesman said: “The majority of employers are law-abiding, but to tackle those who fail to carry out the necessary checks on ID documents, we've introduced fines of up to £10,000 per illegal worker.

“In cases where employers are found to be employing illegal workers, we often find they are also undercutting the minimum wage and by-passing health and safety laws.

“As long as there are illegal jobs, the UK will be an attractive place for illegal immigrants. That's why we have to put a stop to employers who don't play by the rules.”

Since February, the UKBA – formerly the Border and Immigration Agency – have raided premises to issue employers with Notice of Potential Liability for hiring illegal workers. It means employers can be hit with fines of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker.

Earlier this year, immigration police raided the Lal Qila takeaway, in Parker Lane, Burnley, and arrested two Pakistani employees who were said to be working illegally.