Tesco says it is co-operating with immigration officials after a recruitment agency supplied the supermarket chain with 60 illegal immigrants at its distribution centre in Purfleet, Essex.

The illegal workers, reported to be from West Africa, were discovered on Friday 24 August, following a raid by Immigration officers.

Tesco declined to name the agency involved.

An insider at the supermarket giant told Recruiter that the workers had provided false documents to the recruitment agency, which were very good forgeries.