THE body responsible for tracking down illegal immigrants has been embarrassed after admitting that one had been working in its offices in Liverpool.

Despite a crackdown across Government in the wake of a series of blunders last year, the breach at the UK Border Agency (UKBA), on Water Street, was only discovered a few weeks ago.

It is particularly embarrassing because the UKBA has recently been threatening to "name and shame" companies that give illegal immigrants jobs.

An Agency spokesman said the individual was em- ployed by a contractor, and managed a team of cleaners at its Liverpool base.

The person was arrested on June 25 for "illegal entry without leave", and has been deported, he added.

It is not known how long the person was working at the public inquiry office – which considers "straight- forward" immigration applications.

It emerged more than two years after five Nigerian illegal immigrants were discovered working at imm- igration offices – one of the failures which led former Home Secretary John Reid to condemn his department as "not fit for purpose".

Since then, the Govern- ment has admitted that thousands of illegal immi- grants were granted licenc- es to work as security guards, ending up at Scot- land Yard, Whitehall depart- ments, and even protecting the Prime Minister’s car.

Commenting after the UKBA discovery, Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic Grieve, said: "This is becoming a regular occurrence showing serial incompetence on behalf of the Government."