Immigrants found in dire conditions

A raid on a suspected people-smuggling operation has found 19 foreign nationals living in appalling conditions inside a London council flat and a group of garden sheds.

Police, council and customs officers detained 18 Chinese people and one Iranian after the raid on the local authority property in Hackney.

It is thought to be one of the largest number of people found in a raid on residential premises by immigration officers.

The swoop followed months of undercover surveillance by the council amid concerns the flat was being used as a large-scale Chinese "clearing house", offering cheap labour to restaurants.

Officials, who were joined by immigration officers, found one man asleep in a concealed pitch-black cubby hole.

Others were being accommodated in temporary sheds erected in the garden of the flat in Horton Road. There were four beds in every room and the loft was converted into extra sleeping space.

White shirts and clothes that appeared to be part of restaurant uniforms were found hanging up. Dead ducks had been strung up from one of the external sheds.

Jamie Carswell, Hackney's cabinet member for housing, said: "This is a terribly sad story. It defies belief that people can actually live in conditions like these and I have no doubt that somebody somewhere is profiting from this human misery."

All 19 were taken for questioning by the immigration officers. Fourteen remained under investigation today and are likely to face deportation.

Sources indicated the number of suspects found at one address was not unusual for a raid on a business premises, but was exceptional for a residential property.

A Home Office spokeswoman

said: "This was an intelligence-led operation in conjunction with the Met and Hackney council. Five have leave to stay in the UK or applications currently pending. We will seek to remove any who were here illegally."

The council said it would now apply for a possession notice and seek to evict the tenants - a Chinese mother and daughter - to regain the flat for a genuine family in need.