More Essex businesses will face immigration raids and licence reviews after a landmark review in Epping Forest, police have said.

On September 19, Epping Forest District Council suspended the licence of Il Bacio Italian restaurant in Forest Drive, Theydon Bois, for three months and imposed other conditions after its chef was arrested and deported for being in the country illegally.

The move was called for by Essex Police after the 33-year-old Colombian man, named as Mr Romero, was arrested when the restaurant was raided by police and Home Office immigration officers at about 5pm on Thursday, June 30.

Mr Romero was held after staff were checked and the property searched, revealing a Colombian identification card.

He was taken away in handcuffs after officers spotted a number of warning signs allegedly indicating that he was a “heavy drug user and seller” and he had allegedly been known to threaten people with knives.

The meeting on September 19 was the first time a licensing review application has been made in Essex based on a business employing staff who were not entitled to work in the country.

Chief immigration officer Jack Davis, from Immigration Enforcement, said: “The serious consequences for this business - which has been hit with a £10,000 civil penalty and the suspension of its licence - sends a strong message to any business that thinks employing illegal workers is an acceptable practice.”

Other conditions imposed on the restaurant included Andrea Funedda, wife of owner Luigi Funedda, being removed as “designated premises supervisor”.

The restaurant must also store all relevant documents for every staff member, including Home Office “right to works” and visas, during employment and for 12 months after, and no new member of staff will be able to start without proof of identification and right to work.

The licence will be reinstated before the end of the three months if the conditions are met.

Essex Police licensing officer Steve Sparrow warned other businesses that the first review will not be the last.

He said: “We will be taking action against other premises in the county as and when the immigration service supplies the police with the relevant evidence.”

Il Bacio manager Antonio Sini previously said he did not know Mr Romero was in the country illegally because “everybody knew him”.

The chef, who was said to have worked for “a couple of months”, was given lodgings above the restaurant and his employers said he was not paid while they waited for his P45 and other forms.

Il Bacio’s lawyer Roderick James said: “The penalty, the process… massively reduce the risk of this ever occurring again.

“This is a one off instance and will not be repeated.”