Last updated at 20:31, Wednesday, 02 January 2013

An immigration offender from Nigeria has been arrested just moments before he was due to take part in a suspected sham marriage at a Cumbrian registry office.

Acting on information that the relationship may not be genuine, UK Border Agency officers attended the County Offices in Kendal just before 11am today.

The operation at Kendal Register Office was carried out with the full co-operation of the Superintendent Registrar.

Just before the ceremony began officers intervened and the 34-year-old man was arrested for overstaying his visa and remaining in the UK illegally.

He had been due to marry a 24-year-old British woman.

The “bride” was questioned by officers and released, while the Nigerian man has been detained pending his removal from the UK.

Alison Wray, Head of Enforcement for the UK Border Agency in the North West, said: “We’re working closely with registrars to clamp down on sham weddings and civil partnerships."

“Where there are suspicions that a relationship may not be genuine we will investigate and, if necessary, intervene to stop it happening.”

Anyone with information about immigration offenders can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

First published at 20:27, Wednesday, 02 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk