POLICE arrested five people at Bluewater on suspicion of immigration offences.

The arrests were made at 6pm on February 2 at Indian take-away restaurant Shere Kahn Express as the centre bustled with customers.

And the sting was part of Operation Chalice which saw 70 arrests made on the same evening at locations across the country including Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield.

The restaurant, located near the centre's winter garden, is part of a chain of 10 operated by the Manchester-based Awan family.

A spokesman for the shopping centre said: "This is not something Bluewater will comment on.

"It is a matter for the police only."

Michael Kenyon, from Cooper, Kenyon and Burrows solicitor in Manchester, is representing the Awan family.

He said: "No-one from the family has been approached by the police and nobody who was arrested belongs to the family.

"The food they make is very specialised and if they cannot find a chef in the country then they have to look abroad.

"In order for this to be allowed they have to prove references and proof they can work in this country, which is all done by the Home Office."

He added: "It is a very formal process and the necessary legal documents are always present and complies with all the necessary box-ticking requirements."

Detective Superintendent Steve Moore, from Merseyside police, who led the national investigation, said: "The activities are the result of investigation into abuse of the immigration system.

"We have been working closely with colleagues in partner agencies and as a result we arrested a large number of people for offences under the Immigration Act.

"These offences include facilitation of illegal immigration."

The investigation has now been passed to the Home Office via the Immigration Service.