Immigrant workers at council are sacked

Six immigrants have been given the sack after being caught working illegally at Wolverhampton City Council, it was revealed today.

In total 16 foreign staff were at Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Walsall and Staffordshire councils, despite not having permission to work in the UK.

Wolverhampton City Council employed a 37-year-old South African computer operator, a bin collector, 36, a clerical assistant, 43, a Zimbabwean specialist support worker, 28, a Zimbabwean care assistant, 30, and a cleaner, 33.

All were either dismissed or resigned once disciplinary proceedings were launched.

It also emerged today a Jamaican social care worker at Staffordshire County Council was sacked for supplying a fake work permit.

Councillor Wendy Thompson, Wolverhampton's Tory finance chief, said: "It is inexcusable that in one of the worst unemployment areas in the country, people without the right to work here were given jobs without the proper checks."

She said most workers were employed prior to 2008, when Labour was in charge. At Birmingham, six illegal workers were sacked and three others at Walsall.

Fiona McEvoy, of West Midlands TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "It's astounding councils have been so lax and allowed these people to slip through the net."