Car wash boss banned after hiring illegal workers

The owner of a Lincolnshire car wash has been banned from running a company for five years after employing illegal workers.

Mohamed Hamza, 34, of Granville Road, Peterborough, hired the workers from Syria and Egypt to work at M&H Car Wash on Enterprise Way in Pinchbeck, near Spalding.

The business was fined £20,000 after the two workers, a man in his 20s and a man in his 30s, were discovered during an immigration enforcement visit in 2022.

Dame Angela Eagle, the minister for border security and asylum, said: "Anyone who thinks they can profit from illegal working in the UK can think again. I am pleased to see justice has been served."

The disqualification means Hamza cannot be involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company in the UK without permission from a court.

The fine was unpaid when the business went into liquidation in August 2022 with liabilities of more than £44,000, the Insolvency Service said.

Kevin Read, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, described Hamza's actions as "a serious breach of legislation and of the standards expected of company directors".

Dame Angela added: "We know that many people who come to the UK and end up working illegally often do so under extremely poor conditions and are frequently sold a false narrative about their ability to live and work here.

"That's why we're ramping up our enforcement work to tackle smuggling gangs and make sure those who abuse our immigration system face the full consequences."

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