A restaurant chain has been caught employing an illegal immigrant.

Pizza Hut on Sutton High Street could face a £10,000 fine after the 37-year-old Mauritian man was found to be working illegally as a chef.

UK Border Agency officer swooped on the branch at midday yesterday and arrested the illegal employee who pretended to be a customer to evade capture.

Spokeswoman Sian Freestone-Walker said the man had pulled on a coat over his uniform and was pretending to eat in the restaurant.

But officers became suspicious when they queried why there was no chef in the kitchen and spotted the man acting suspiciously.

She said: “Officers questioned him and he was subsequently arrested on suspicion of overstaying his visa.

“He will be placed in detentioned and we will look to remove him.

“The restaurant was closed temporarily as the investigation too place, but reopened after the officers left.”

A notice has now been served on the employer, who could now faces a potential £10,000 fine.

A customer, who did not want to be named, said: “The officers stormed in looking for ilegal workers at about 12.40pm.

“The guy that cooks the pizza's already had his coat on so he sat down pretending to be a customer but they noticed him acting strange so they grabbed him and took him away.

“He said he never worked there but I've seen him there for at least three years.

“Not what you'd expect from a big company like that, employing ilegal workers.”

Michele Louden Inspector for the Wandsworth Merton and Sutton Local Immigration Team said: “As long as there are illegal jobs, the UK will be an attractive place for illegal immigrants. That's why we have to put a stop to employers who don't play by the rules.

A Pizza Hut spokesman said: “We have strict employment practices across all of our stores and take all allegations regarding a breach of these practices very seriously.

“We have a strong working relationship with the UK Border Agency and are doing all we can to assist them with their investigations.”