SIX illegal immigrants are being held after raids at restaurants in Southampton and Hampshire.

Little Buddha Chinese in Shirley faces a £60,000 fine after three arrests, with two people set to be deported.

Officers also detained a 22-year-old man from Bangladesh at Sea of Spice, in West Street, Fareham, and are preparing to remove him from the UK.

The Little Buddha workers, in Shirley High Street, were found to have overstayed student and visitors' visas. A 48-year-old Malaysian man and a 32-year-old woman from China were arrested and face deportation.

The third, a 35-year-old man from China, has been ordered to report to Immigration Enforcement regularly while his case is progressed.

Officials also detained two men at Tulu Tandoori in Basingstoke during the raids on Thursday, which the Home Office said were based on intelligence.

All three restaurants have been warned they will face fines of up to £20,000 per illegal worker if they cannot prove they carried out pre-employment checks.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We take reports of illegal working very seriously and carry out regular operations to tackle abuse of the system.

"Illegal working cheats the taxpayer, undercuts honest employers and means legitimate job seekers are denied employment opportunities. Employers who flout the rules face a heavy penalty.

"We rely on information from members of the public and I would urge people to report suspected illegal working to us."

The restaurants were unavailable for comment yesterday.

Anyone who suspects immigration abuse can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Alternatively, visit gov.uk/report-immigration-crime.