Illegal worker claims 'are ignored'

A lack of resources is preventing the Immigration Service from investigating possible illegal workers, employment agencies have claimed.

Last month Home Secretary John Reid urged the public to inform on companies who take on people who do not have the right to work in the UK.

But half of employment agencies surveyed for the BBC who say they have raised concerns about illegal workers claim the Immigration Service did not take decisive action.

An online survey of 425 recruitment agencies conducted by the industry body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation suggested three quarters of agencies had spotted suspect documents.

A quarter did not even contact the Immigration Service, with a third saying UKIS were "unhelpful" when they reported someone with suspect documents trying to get work. Almost half said the Immigration Service did not take decisive action.

In a statement, the Home Office said it was doubling enforcement resources and activity by 2009/10 and introducing an "integrated cross-Government approach to stamp out illegal working".