POLICE have triggered a restaurant licensing review after a chef and waiter were found illegally working during an immigration raid.

Essex Police visited the Yak and Yeti, a Nepalese, Indian and Tibetan restaurant, near the Elms in London Road in January and found the business had employed the staff illegally.

A Southend police spokesman told councillors a review of the restaurant’s licence had been requested because “Essex Police takes the issue of illegal workers very seriously”.

But councillors also heard the situation was more complex than it appeared because the restaurant had recently changed hands following the death of the original owner, who had recruited the two workers.

The police spokesman said one of the workers told officers they had been working at the premises for six months as a waiter after a friend got him the job.

However, he was not required to show any documentation of his right to work.

The other, was working in the kitchen “dressed in chef’s whites” and had been working there six days a week for around nine months.

When asked by his boss if he has the right to work there, he said he had told them he did not.

The police spokesman said: “It was an intelligence operation based on information that a number of individuals were working at the premises illegally. Immigration officers had attended the premises twice previously, following the discovery of one illegal worker in 2013.”

The original owner died in December and David Dadds, representing the new owner, old the licensing committee the restaurant had passed the business to his brother.

Mr Dadds said all immigration checks had been carried out since, proper records are being kept and steps have been taken to ensure that the same situation “does not happen again”.

Speaking of the new owner, Mr Dadds said: “He finds himself in a difficult situation. Not only has he lost a brother but he has also taken on responsibility for the business and his brother’s family.”

A final decision is expected to be made by the licensing committee, which has the option to revoke the premises licence entirely.

Alternatively it could take weaker measures such as amending the terms of the licence.