Two County Durham businesses have been fined £30,000 after they were found to be employing illegal workers among their staff members.

Acre Rigg Social Club on Lowhills Road in Peterlee and Shiny Hand Carwash on John Street in Consett were both reprimanded by the Home Office in its most recent list of businesses fined for breaking the regulations.

The businesses have been listed in the Government's quarterly round-up of companies that have had penalties issued and were found to have employed illegal workers.

According to the data - which is updated every three months - the two businesses were both fined £15,000.

The Home Office releases the data into the public record four times per year, and the latest data relates to the period of January 1 to March 31, 2024, and was released on Saturday (August 31).

Alongside the two County Durham businesses, eight others in Teesside, Tyne and Wear and North Yorkshire were fined, which were:

  • Sarah Shawarma, Adam Anwar Limited, 110 Parliament Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 4JJ, £​20,000
  • Fishing Vessel - GV Artemis 1BAG FR LLP, Hartlepool Bay Port, Hartlepool, TS24 0EQ, £​30,000
  • Bengal Spice Limited, Bengal Spice Limited, Bengal Spice Limited, 47 Prospect Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO12 7JX, £​15,000
  • Bitz ‘N’ Pizzas, Bitz N Pizzas Ltd, 24 Flowergate, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 3BA, £​50,000
  • Crispy Slice, Hanid Food Ltd, 92 High Street West, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, NE28 8HY, £​10,000
  • Mist Shisha Lounge/Pool/Snooker, Inspire Investments Group Ltd, 339 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS5 6AB, £​10,000
  • Istanbul Shwarma, Istanbul Shawarma 4U LTD, 61 High Street, Redcar, North Yorkshire, TS10 3DD, £​15,000
  • Reem’s Pizzeria, Zabih Jabarkhil, 180 York Road, Hartlepool, TS26 9EA, £20,000

According to the Government, there can be severe penalties for employing individuals who do not have the right to work.

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Gov.uk says: "You can be sent to jail for 5 years and pay an unlimited fine if you’re found guilty of employing someone who you knew or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to work in the UK.

This includes, for example, if you had any reason to believe that:

  • They did not have leave (permission) to enter or remain in the UK
  • Their leave had expired
  • They were not allowed to do certain types of work
  • Their papers were incorrect or false