The Italian restaurant Donatello could be fined £120,000 and face losing its premises licence after six illegal workers were found.

Immigration enforcement officers raided the restaurant, in Brighton Place, Brighton, on November 9 after receiving intelligence and found a Russian man, four Uzbekistani men and a woman from the Ivory Coast.

The Uzbekistani men were arrested for breach of their visa conditions and detained and will be “dealt with according to immigration rules”.

The other two workers were released on immigration bail.

The Home Office has now asked Brighton and Hove City Council to review the Italian restaurant’s premises licence on the grounds of “prevention of crime and disorder”.

Restaurant bosses were also given a notice telling them they could be slapped with a maximum penalty of £120,000.

Donatello has denied the allegations.

A spokesman for the restaurant said: “It is correct that an application for review of the Donatello premises licence has been lodged with the council.

“This application is based on a number of allegations that we categorically deny and we are confident that the review will result in no action being taken.

“As the matter is now the subject of the review proceedings we will be making no further comment.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “The government is tackling illegal immigration and the harm it causes by removing those with no right to be in the UK.

“We continue to work with law enforcement agencies to tackle illegal migration in all its forms.”

Last year, a modern slavery investigation was launched after an illegal worker was found working at Saltdean News on December 16, 2021.

Officers from Sussex Police also found another illegal immigrant at a premises in Portslade owned by the licensees, Krunal Chandrakant Patel and Kirma Krunal Patel.

The Patels were accused of paying immigrant workers “a pittance” and putting them up in unsafe conditions.

Sussex Police asked Brighton and Hove City Council to review Saltdean News’ alcohol licence the same month, and notified the Patels.