THREE men who were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of immigration offences in Lydney have been transferred to immigration detention pending removal from the UK.

The men from Albania, aged 27, 29 and 30, were arrested as part of Operation Trivium; a Europe-wide investigation organised by TISPOL (the European Traffic Police Network), that aims to tackle criminals who travel abroad to commit crime.

The arrests were made by immigration enforcement officers, with the help of Gloucestershire Police, at a car wash at Cross Hands. The men were found to have no right to work in the UK, having entered the country illegally.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Immigration enforcement officers across the country will be supporting the police-led Operation Trivium until tomorrow (November 25), including undertaking joint enforcement visits.

"Working with the police, immigration enforcement will take every opportunity to identify those with no right to be here and remove them from the country."