A FAILED asylum seeker found working illegally at a Boscombe hand car wash could cost the business £20,000.

Officers visited Hot Hand Car Wash in Gloucester Road, Boscombe around 11.05am on Thursday morning.

The business was once owned by murder victim Ibrahim Yousef who was killed last year.

Two vans were seen, one inside the business, with officers talking to staff in an inside office.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said staff were questioned to find out whether they had the right to live and work in the UK.

Officers found one man, a 29-year-old Iraqi national, working illegally. He was found to be a failed asylum seeker.

The man has been ordered to report to the Home Office regularly while his case is progressed.

Officials left the premises just before 12noon. The business will be served with a notice warning that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 will be imposed unless the employer can demonstrate that appropriate right to work document checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document.

One member of staff told the Daily Echo they had no comment to make.

Carla Johnson, head of the South Central Home Office Immigration Enforcement team, said: “There will be no slowdown in our efforts to clamp down on immigration abuse.

“Employers in Dorset who use illegal labour are defrauding the taxpayer, undercutting genuine employers and denying work to legitimate job hunters.

“We are happy to work with employers who want to play by the rules but those who break the law will face the consequences.

“I would urge people with detailed and specific information about suspected immigration abuse to contact us.”

Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact gov.uk/report-immigration-crime or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.