NINE immigration offenders have been caught in a series of UK Border Agency raids across the town.

On February 29, officers from the agency supported by Wiltshire Police went to the Shaftesbury Centre, in Percy Street, where migrant workers were attending a training event.

After checks were carried out, six people there were found to have committed immigration offences.

Four people – three Kenyan men and a Kenyan woman – remain in detention pending their removal from the UK while a Kenyan woman and a Sudanese woman were released to report to a local police station while outstanding immigration claims are considered.

If they are found to have no right to remain in the UK, they will also face removal.

On the same day, UK Border Agency officers went to a residential address in Shenton Close, where a Kenyan woman was arrested.

She was placed on immigration bail to report to a police station while arrangements are made to remove her from the UK.

Earlier this week, officers made two further arrests at residential addresses in Swindon.

On Tuesday a Kenyan woman was arrested in Edinburgh Street while a woman from Swaziland was detained at Cricklade Road.

The Kenyan woman has since been released to report to a police station while an outstanding immigration claim is considered while the woman from Swaziland remains detained pending removal.

Those arrested were found to have committed a range of immigration offences including overstaying visas, working illegally and failing to leave the UK after asylum claims were turned down.

UK Border Agency regional director for the South West, Jane Farleigh, said: “We carry out frequent operations in Swindon and Wiltshire and immigration offenders should know that they have nowhere to hide.

“Where we find people who are in the UK illegally we will seek to remove them.

“We are happy to work with employers to let them know what checks need to be carried out to make sure their staff have the right to work in the UK.”

Anyone who has information on suspected immigration offenders can visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.

uk/aboutus/contact/report-crime/ For more information and contact details for the south west immigration team visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov .uk/aboutus/your-region/wales-sw/local-immigration-teams/