FOUR people were believed to be in custody last night after an immigration raid on one of the region's best-known Indian restaurants.Officers from the Immigration Service swooped on The Mogul in Manningtree and arrested four people on suspicion of immigration offences.

FOUR people were believed to be in custody last night after an immigration raid on one of the region's best-known Indian restaurants.

Officers from the Immigration Service swooped on The Mogul in Manningtree and arrested four people on suspicion of immigration offences.

The restaurant, in South Street, is famous across East Anglia and has boasted Griff Rhys Jones, darts player Bobby George and actress Siobhan Redman among its regulars.

In 2000, it hit the headlines after Soul II Soul star Tony Matthews, revealed he had ordered take-away from the Indian restaurant, whilst away in Cyprus recording an album.

However, the restaurant was targeted by the Immigration Service and police who raided the restaurant last Thursday.

A Home Office spokeswoman yesterday confirmed four people had been arrested at the restaurant but refused to give any further details of where they were from, their ages or genders.

She said: “We can confirm that the Immigration Service, with the support of police liaison officers, visited the Mogul restaurant in Manningtree on July 6. As a result four immigration offenders have been arrested.

“The Immigration Service adopts an intelligence led approach to operations, and where appropriate, will move resources around the country to carry out specific operations.”

The spokeswoman could not confirm whether the arrested people were being held in an immigration detention centre or if they were to be deported, but she confirmed they were suspected of being in the country illegally.

She added: “The Government has made it clear that it will take a robust approach to removing people from the country where they have no legal right to be here.

“The UK Immigration Service seeks, where possible, to remove from the UK any individual found to be knowingly working without leave to remain or working in breach of their conditions of entry.

“This includes illegal workers.”

Last night the manager of The Mogul was not available for comment but a member of staff said it was open for business as usual.

james.hore@eadt.co.uk