A JOINT operation targeting Hounslow 'beds in sheds' has led to four Indian men faced with deportation from the UK.

Immigration officers, housing officers from Hounslow council and the police arrested and detained three men for entering the UK illegally, and one for over-staying his visa, at an address in Taunton Avenue.

The Home Office Immigration Enforcement operation visited a number of addresses in the borough suspected of having illegally occupied buildings, on May 23.

Landlords of other properties in Staines Road and Bath Road will now face investigation by Hounslow Council’s rogue landlords team.

Sarah Burton, assistant director and head of the Home Office West London Immigration Enforcement team, said: “We are working closely with local authorities and the police to crack down on illegal immigration, and where we find someone who is in the UK illegally we will seek to remove them.

“But working with our partners we are also targeting the rogue landlords who exploit the desperation of others and force them to live in often appalling conditions."

Councillor Steve Curran, cabinet member for planning, regeneration and housing at Hounslow Council, added: “We are determined to tackle the blight on local communities caused by criminal landlords making a profit on the back of vulnerable people.

"The people who live in these conditions are trapped into thinking they have no choice, and can be paying hundreds of pounds to put up with cramped conditions, unsafe wiring and inadequate sanitation."

More than 1,000 properties have been visited across the borough to investigate possible offences, and have identified many more which will be visited soon.

The council and the Home Office will continue to work together and take action where needed.