A local car wash has been fined £45,000 for using illegal workers, according to latest Government data.
Soapy Joe’s Valeting Centre, trading as Soapy Joes Car Wash at 1, Worrall Street, Congleton was fined £45,000. The company, registered at Meadow Mill, Worrall Street, was incorporated on 27th March 2019. Companies House filings showed it has assets of £3,770.
D M T Transport, of Grosvenor House, 3, Chapel Street, Congleton, was fined £15,000.
Companies House shows that the company appointed a voluntary liquidator in September. It had no assets but owed HMRC £430,000. Its director said it had faced a bad debt of £360,000. It also owed trade debts of £22,000.
Also fined was Candy Melts Mini Market, 46, Frodsham Street, Chester, which was fined £45,000; Al Nakhal Group trading as Caprino’s Pizza, 319, London Road, Hazel Grove, Stockport, was fined £40,000, as was Abz Valeting, trading as Birchwood Hand Car Wash, Warrington.
All fines are the final value once appeal rights were exhausted.
The fines appeared in the Government’s quarterly reports showing the civil penalties for illegal working issued to non-compliant employers in the UK.
Three people were arrested in Congleton in October. Officers from the Eastern Area Investigation Team took part in Operation Machinize in partnership Immigration Officers and HMIC.
A part of the operation officers visited two car washes in the town leading to the arrest of three men, one aged 33 and two aged 39, suspicion of modern slavery offences. The trio were released on bail.
In addition, four other men were also arrested by immigration and a number of items were seized, including a car, several mobile phones and a quantity of cash.
Det Cons Dominic Rogers, of the Eastern area Protecting Vulnerable People Unit said: “We work hard to tackle criminals operating in our communities and today’s operation demonstrates just some of the work that we do day in, day out.
“While the vast majority of businesses in Congleton are operating legitimately, there are some who exploit the most vulnerable people in order to make financial gains.
“Those involved in such activities often have links to drug trafficking and distribution, organised immigration crime, modern slavery and human trafficking, which is why we are committed to doing all we can to identify those involved.
“I hope that the results from this operation will provide some reassurance to our communities and also act as a warning to those who are considering taking part in this type of activity.”
Anyone with concerns about organised immigration crime can contact Cheshire Police via 101 or visit cheshire.police.uk.
• In 2024 we reported a claim that Chapel Street car park was being used as delivery point for kitchen appliances and building materials.
A builders merchant was asked to drop off an order at an address given as “Chapel Street Business Park”.
Paul Carter, who runs Macclesfield-based Maccplas, contacted the “Chronicle” after realising that the delivery location was actually Chapel Street pay and display car park run by Cheshire East Council.
He said the customer who put in the order was called DMS Logistics, whose address online is given as Congleton Business Centre, which is at Grosvenor House on Chapel Street and backs on to the car park. The business centre is a “virtual office and mail forwarding service”.
Despite the similar name, there is no evidence that DMS Logistics and D M T Transport are linked in any way.
