A 40-year-old man has been jailed six months for employing three Mainland visitors to do decoration work in a food shop's staff quarters.

Chan Wai-ming pleaded guilty in Kwun Tong Magistracy to three charges of hiring a person not lawfully employable, and was sentenced to six months on each count, to run concurrently.

The three Mainlanders also admitted breaching conditions of stay and were each sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

On February 27, Immigration officers raided a Yau Ma Tei flat which was under renovation and found the three performing odd jobs.

Being visitors to Hong Kong, they were arrested after it was suspected they were breaching their conditions of stay.

The defendant, who was the contractor of the decoration work, was located and questioned. Under caution, he admitted employing the trio to save on wage expenses, although he knew of their visitors' status.