THE Home Office has called on Barrow Borough Council to shut down an Indian restaurant after revealing damning discoveries during recent immigration raids.

Last July synchronised raids were carried out at the Taste of India in Askam and at the Naaz in Ulverston which the Home Office said were "linked by ownership".

Those raids led to four Bangladeshi men being arrested and subsequently sent back to Bangladesh.

Three months later a second raid at the Taste of India resulted in the arrest of a 60-year-old man from Bangladesh who had entered the UK illegally.

Now the Home Office has submitted an application for the restaurant's licence to be reviewed after revealing a £30,000 fine for the illegal immigrants remains outstanding.

The application is being made with the restaurant's bosses accused of "failing to meet the licensing objectives of prevention of crime and disorder as illegal working has been identified at the premises".

In the application, the Home Office said: "On October 20 an enforcement visit was conducted at 7pm. One Bangladeshi male was detained.

"Two British minors were encountered working at the address and they stated that the manager had told them to say that the Bangladeshi male didn't work there if anyone asked.

"They also mentioned that they had been asked to get cannabis for the manager. Both minors were walked home by the officers as they did not want to remain at the restaurant."

A decision on a review of the licence will be made after February 22.