More than 40% of fines for businesses fined for employing workers illegally are still unpaid, according to figures from the UK Border Agency.

Legal website Workplace Law reports that in the past 18 months 3,164 penalties have been given to firms by the UK Border Agency, mainly to restaurants and takeaways, found guilty of hiring illegal workers. So far, 1,301 fines remain uncollected with a total of about £6.5m thought to be unpaid.