UK NEWS

SHAM BRIDE ARRESTED IN WEDDING DRESS

CAUGHT RED HANDED: The bride was arrested after tying the knot

Wednesday October 1,2008

By Emily Garnham for express.co.uk

A BRIDE was arrested and handcuffed while still in her wedding dress after immigration officials realised the marriage was a sham.

A Portuguese woman was cuffed only minutes after her wedding ceremony after an attempt to help the Nigerian groom get a passport was exposed.

But the newlyweds roused suspicion when they did not even leave the church together.

Police found the bride, who has not yet been named, with another man after tracking her number plate on police cameras.

A police source said: “We couldn’t work it out when we found them. Why she wasn’t with her husband?

“She was wearing the dress but he wasn’t the groom - and it turned out they didn’t even leave the church together.”

The ‘happy’ couple were arrested after the ceremony in Dulwich, south London, earlier this month.

Searches yielded fake passports and police made two further arrests.

Sergeant Philip Spaul said: “We take these criminal networks who try to hide their true identities from enforcement authorities very seriously.”

The bride has been bailed but a 37-year-old man is still in police custody and facing deportation.

UK Border Agency area director Hugh Ind said: “We will leave no stone unturned and will work closely together to crack down on those attempting to abuse our immigration laws.”