'Sham' wedding busted by immigration police just moments before couple say 'I do'
IMMIGRATION officers swooped on a 'sham' wedding - just moments before the bride and groom said "I do."
Five people, including the 27-year-old Hungarian bride and the 33-year-old Pakistani groom, were arrested at the suspected bogus wedding in Hull, East Yorkshire.
Officers interrupted the big day following intelligence the couple's relationship was not genuine.
Three wedding guests, including a Pakistani man, 48, a Hungarian man, 44, and a 23-year-old Hungarian woman were also arrested.
Photographs show the bride wearing a full, white wedding dress and a smartly dressed groom when officers ambushed the ceremony at Hull Register Office on Thursday.
Mark Bates, of Home Office Criminal Investigations, said: "Where we receive information that a wedding may be suspicious we will investigate and, if necessary, intervene and arrest those involved.
"This investigation will now continue following the arrests we have made and the evidence we have seized."
This comes after growing fears that people with European Union (EU) citizenship are being paid thousands of pounds to marry non-EU citizens, allowing them to stay in Britain.
The couple are now being questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law, along with the 48-year-old man.
A quantity of cash was also seized.
Detective Sergeant Andy Norris, from the UK Border Agency, added: "We are confident we have caught these illegal activities before Hull is made a hub for this sort of crime. People who think they can use Hull in this way will need to think again."
The 23-year-old woman has been released on bail pending further investigations and the 44-year-old man has been released without charge.
There are an estimated 10,000 fake weddings in the UK every year and the Home Affairs Committee have recently voiced concerns that growing numbers of EU nationals with a right to live in Britain are being used to earn passports for people from outside the continent.