A DISTRAUGHT Mid Devon chicken farmer has denied knowingly employing illegal workers following a major raid on his farm.

Merrifield Farm near Crediton was raided by around 50 immigration and police officers on July 1 in the biggest operation of its kind seen in the region for more than a decade.

A total of 13 immigrants from Afghanistan and Namibia were found to be working there illegally, all of whom are now in the process of being kicked out of the UK.

But farm owner Peter Coleman insists he employed the workers in good faith, believing them to have the legal paperwork.

The 60-year-old, who runs the chicken farm with wife Sue and son James, has blamed the immigration system for making it "impossible" for him to be sure he is not employing illegal workers.

He told the Gazette: "The raid was completely unexpected and a total shock.

"We all found it very distressing and it was traumatic. We had family and friends ringing us to find out if we were okay.

"We are facing an impossible situation as there is a major flaw in the way the immigration system is run and we have no way of being able to properly identify these people.

"I am responsible for checking that the workers have the correct documents but a lot of the time they are forged."

Mr Coleman was handed an on-the-spot penalty notice by immigration officials that could mean a fine of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker.

The farmer insisted he always tried to hire British workers.

But he added: "They often don't want to do the kind of work needed at the farm as it can be dirty and smelly.

"We have found the foreign workers have been very good. The illegal immigrants caught on my farm are desperate people, but I have no respect for anybody who uses forged documents — it is wrong.

"The problem is that they are illegitimately competing with the British labour force."

A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said: "Mr Coleman was issued with a fixed penalty notice following the raid.

"That civil action is still pending.

"To avoid being fined, Mr Coleman must prove to the UK Border Agency that he has carried out the correct checks before giving the workers jobs."