IMMIGRATION officials swooped on cockle pickers and made arrests.

Passers-by looked on as the group, including children, were stopped by officers and some were taken away to be deported.

One man, who asked not to be named, said: “I saw them with all the cockles and when immigration turned up many of the cockles were put back.

“The people who were taken away looked like they were from South East Asia.”

Acting on intelligence, the immigration enforcement officers visited Brighton Road, Shoreham at 12.20pm on Sunday where a group were found harvesting cockles.

Immigration officers carried out checks to ensure that the pickers had the right to live and work in the UK.

But some were found to be illegally present in the UK.

A total of four , including two children, were bailed and a further five men were detained pending removal from the UK.

Information to help employers carry out checks to prevent illegal working can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/employers-illegal-working-penalties.

This includes a quick answer right-to-work tool to help employers check if someone has the right to work in the UK.

People with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact https://www.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.