An illegal immigrant told officials he was going to buy teabags when he was caught trying to escape through the window of a restaurant where he was working as a waiter.

The Raj of India, in The Street, Rayne, was raided by officers from the UK Border Agency at around 6.15pm last Thursday.

The restaurant faces a fine of up to £50,000 after five illegal immigrants were discovered during a raid on the premises.

As immigration officials entered the building, a 52-year-old Bangladeshi national, whose visa had expired, was seen trying to escape through a ground floor window.

After being stopped by officers, the man said that he was not trying to escape, instead he was going out to buy teabags.

The man was one of five members of staff who were found to have overstayed the length of their visa.

The other four men, aged 29, 30, 36 and 39, were also from Bangladesh.

UK Border Agency officer Rebecca Newell said: “Where we find people who are in the UK illegally we will seek to remove them.

“But we are also looking to target the employers who take on illegal workers and fuel illegal immigration.

“We’re happy to work with businesses to let them know what checks need to be done on staff, but those who choose to break the law should know that we are looking for them and they will face heavy fines.”

The restaurant could be fined £10,000 per illegal worker unless it is able to prove that right-to-work checks were carried out on the five men.