5:26pm Monday 8th February 2010
By Sarah Cosgrove
A GROUP of car washers were arrested on Friday suspected of being illegal immigrants.
The three men were caught when they tried to avoid being fined for littering on the Cranbourne Industrial Estate, Cranbourne Road, Potters Bar.
Officers came across four men while on patrol during an Environmental Action Day (EAD).
Members of Potters Bar Police, Potters Bar Fire Service and Hertsmere Borough Council had been spending the day identifying areas of environmental concern such as flytipping, graffiti and littering in Potters Bar.
The team went to the car wash after local people complained about the car wash spilling out onto the pavement.
Environmental health officers had already asked staff at the car wash to ensure this did not happen.
This time the team visited with the intention of fining any wrongdoing.
The council's environmental health officer, Gavin Burns, said: “I told them they could be fined for littering if they didn't move their things but they didn't take any notice. I tried to give him a £75 ticket and he legged it.”
Mr Burns chased the man but he escaped. He asked the other three men at the car wash to telephone the man and ask him to return but they ignored him and continued washing cars.
Their evasiveness made police officers suspicious so they asked the men for their details – finding they had given false information.
The men were arrested and taken to Hatfield Police Station to be questioned by immigration officers.
Officers on the EAD also found flytipping behind Cranborne Parade and graffiti in an alleyway in Cranbourne Road.
Hertsmere Borough Council's portfolio holder for community safety, councillor John Donne said: “This events are all about making visible improvements to areas and getting local communities involved so they can take pride in Hertsmere.”
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