From Carl Scheib SIR. As your publication has reported recent Home Office interventions at our premises, Cookie Man Limited, I should like to correct any misapprehensions which have arisen.

Our factory in Esher has indeed had production disrupted by a total of three Home Office raids. On each occasion, including the most recent very public affair, after stringent investigation The Cookie Man has been given a clean bill of health.

Producing high quality cakes and cookies for leading name food stores is our business. It is a very labour-intensive business and we provide employment for a large number of people who are both British and of other nationalities.

Like other manufacturing businesses employing overseas nationals (which we do because this area has few local people seeking jobs), we do not have the expertise nor can reasonably be expected to have the expertise, to differentiate sophisticated forged paperwork from genuine documents.

This is the task of trained immigration officers and all those who perform screening at the various ports of entry to this country.

We suspect we are not alone in the catering industry in finding it unacceptable that our production can be interrupted, our business disrupted, our reputation besmirched and our profit margins eroded by these invasive visits from Home Office officials.

This is especially distressing when the visits give rise to our procedures being found to be satisfactory and we are unable to seek compensation for the great loss and inconvenience we have suffered. We fear that the high-priced, high-profile raids on our firm may serve those who need to be seen to be doing something about illegal workers at considerable expense to taxpayers.

But in real terms they do not get to the heart of the problem and certainly not in a cost-effective way. We are victims in a flawed system.

We are eager to work more closely with the Home Office and put into place new procedures which will help employers get quick and accurate verification of prospective employee documentation. We have consistently offered such co-operation. On May 1, 2004, new legislation regarding the employment of illegal workers, aimed more heavily at employers, will come into effect which. This focus is misplaced.

The Immigration Service needs to target more vigorously those providing false documentation and not employers trying to run bona fide businesses. Our local MP, Ian Taylor, has visited our premises and is now assisting us in ensuring our case is raised with ministers.

We want to continue to operate a successful local business which contributes to the local economy.

We are grateful for Ian Taylor's intervention and for the continuing support of our loyal staff and many valued customers.

Carl Scheib Director Cookie Man Ltd