Immigration enforcement officers swooped on a Wiltshire town centre business earlier this week.
It is understood officers from West of England Immigration Enforcement team attended a Fore Street business in Trowbridge on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 5.
Officers on-scene were acting on intelligence, and conducted a thorough investigation ensure all checks were completed. No arrests were made, this paper understands.
Photos from the scene show a white van parked in the town centre, with an eye-witness stating that five enforcement officers were present.
Responding to an enquiry from this paper, a Home Office spokesperson said: “Illegal working undermines honest business, exploits vulnerable individuals and fuels organised immigration crime.
“We are already closing the loopholes that allow illegal migrants to work in the UK by extending right to work checks to the gig economy and delivery sector.
“Employers who break the law face severe consequences, including fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, business closures, licence revocations and prison sentences of up to five years.
“More than 17,000 illegal working arrests have been made since July 2024, a 122 per cent increase on the two years previous, with almost 25,000 visits carried out across the country, a 111 per cent increase.”
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The action in Trowbridge comes amid a surge in actions across the South West, as visits and arrests soar by 61 per cent and 44 per cent respectively in the last six months according to the Home Office.
This activity has seen 895 visits resulting in 693 arrests in 2026 so far, following targeted action across all business sectors across the region.
Across the UK, enforcement activity more than doubled in the last two years, with the Home Office saying the first half of 2026 is the most successful six-month period in British history.
In the first six months of 2026 the number of illegal working visits has jumped to 7,270, a 31 per cent increase on the same period last year, leading to 4,756 arrests, a 20 per cent rise.
More than 17,000 illegal working arrests have been made since July 2024, a 122 per cent increase on the two years previous, with almost 25,000 visits carried out across the country, a 111 per cent increase.
For those arrested for working illegally since July 2024, there has been a 50 per cent rise of individuals being returned to their home countries, a total of 2,357.
Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood said: "Illegal working undercuts honest workers and legal businesses.
"This government has put more resources into Immigration Enforcement to crack down on it.
"This surge in enforcement activity takes us to the highest level in British history. Illegal workers and rogue employers have nowhere to hide.”
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