EIGHT illegal immigrants working for a Swindon based employment agency have been arrested.

But Workbase Resources, which has offices on Commercial Road and Stratton Road, has been cleared of any blame in the affair.

And managing director Ken Kennedy today called for stricter government controls saying that firms like his are being duped too easily by illegals carrying false documents.

Immigration officers, together with members of Wiltshire Police Special Branch and Devizes Police, raided Hayden's Bakeries on Hopton Industrial Estate in Devizes last Wednesday just before the nightshift began.

Eight were detained five Brazilian men, two Kenyan women and one man from Kosovo.

One of the Kenyan women had absconded from a detention centre near Heathrow Airport and the Kosovan man has made an application for political asylum.

They were taken to Chipp- enham Police Station where they were interviewed.

All but the Kosovan have already been deported.

Hayden's, which employs 270 people at its Devizes plant, is said to have co-operated fully with police and immigration officials.

The eight detainees were among a group of temporary workers supplied by Workbase Resources, which is based in Swindon but has a branch office in Devizes.

Mr Kennedy said his company makes all the necessary checks on those looking for work.

But he said that his staff cannot be expected to be experts in spotting forged documents.

He said: "It could happen to any company in any business.

"If somebody applies for a job and they are suitable for it, you offer them the job.

"If they've got all the right credentials, what can you do?

"It's up to the Government to do something positive to prevent this happening.

"You can't expect employers to take on the burden of carrying out an in-depth investigation."

Mr Kennedy added that he is suspicious about why his firm in particular has been targeted by immigration officials fearing he has been the subject of a malicious tip-off.

He said: "I don't like throwing stones but it has come as bit of a surprise to us that over the last month or so we've been getting a lot of strange telephone calls from government offices.

"I think somebody may have a vendetta against us.

"We are in a very competitive business.

" But we will just keep doing what we do providing the best service we can for our customers."

The Home Office has confirmed that no action is being taken against either Hayden's or Workbase.

Since the incident, Work-base has been working closely with the Immigration Service office in Bristol to tighten up the procedure.

Mr Kennedy said: "We now have a hot line to the Bristol office so we can check straight away if we think anything is incorrect.

"It is a good thing that it has been brought into the open like this."