Home Office investigating after BBC catches lawyer offering to make fines go away

The Home Office has launched an investigation after a solicitor was secretly filmed by the BBC explaining how he could make a £45,000 illegal-working fine go away. Mohammad Alias Yousaf - also known as Alias - made the claim to an undercover reporter, who was posing as a mini-mart owner facing a fine for employing an illegal worker.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has said it will also examine the BBC's findings to see whether there has been misconduct by solicitors or law firms. The Bradford-based solicitor told his potential client he could avoid paying the fine if he was able to find someone overseas prepared to declare themselves the owner of the mini-mart.

The BBC's wider investigation also revealed at least £150m is currently owed to the government in uncollected illegal-working fines, according to Home Office figures exclusively obtained by the BBC. The Home Office said it would be investigating the allegations to see whether there had been a breach of immigration rules.