CAR washes in Worcester city were visited by police and immigration officers looking for illegal workers.

Around eight officers visited Droitwich Road Hand Car Wash and Valeting Service where they questioned five workers.

None of the five men, mostly from Romania, were in the country illegally and the business was found to be complying with the law.

Officers also visited Spotless Hand Car Wash and Valeting Service in Whittington Road, Worcester, where workers were also employed legally.

The raids were part of Operation Trivium, a week long nationwide immigration crackdown in which police and immigration officers have worked together.

Sergeant Carl Jones, from the safer neighbourhood team for Cathedral, St John’s and Bedwardine, said many car washes were legitimate businesses.

However, he added: “It was identified some years ago in discussion with immigration that businesses like car washes were clearly employing immigrants. “There were concerns that some of the immigrants may be being abused financially and in other ways.”

“Nationally a lot of work has been done in relation to car washes and some were found to be employing Albanians who were not EU workers, which was when they first came on the radar.

He added: “Where you get a high turnover of staff and staff struggling with their English, evasive about identification sometimes, it’s something that leads to suspicions.”

Sergeant Jones said officers looked out for a variety of offences, showing workers were being exploited.

He said: “They are often working long hours and being paid far less than they should be.”

Earlier, we reported how two people were arrested after police raided nail bars in the city centre.

Sergeant Jones said if found guilty of knowingly employing illegal immigrants, the business owner could be fined up to £40,000.