A MAN and a woman at the centre of a fake marriages scam recruited "brides" to help illegal immigrants stay in Britain, a court has been told.

And the couple wrote fake letters from the women to immigration officials which told of their love for their new husbands, Preston Crown Court heard.

Ibrahim Patel, 49, of Dartford Close, Blackburn, and Anita Rana, 33, formerly of Romney Street, Blackburn, have pleaded not guilty to 12 charges relating to helping illegal immigrants into the country.

They were arrested as part of Operation Capital, set up by the police to probe alleged bogus marriages.

Henry Globe, prosecuting, told the court that the pair had been involved in arranging a series of "sham" marriages, designed to enable illegal immigrants to get permanent residencies in Britain.

Under British immigration law, foreigners can apply for permanent leave of residency in the United Kingdom if they are married, or marry, someone who is already a resident in the country.

He said the pair had helped arrange a series of fake marriages between 1995 and 1999.

After the marriages, fake letters were sent by the "brides" to immigration officials in a bid to get their "husbands" permanent residencies in Britain, Mr Globe said.

Outlining the first accusation, Mr Globe said the pair befriended Jacqueline Graham in 1995 and offered her support after she moved to Blackburn from Penwortham.

In return, the pair asked her to take part in a fake marriage, which took place at Preston Registry Office.

"She was taken to an address in Surrey Street, Preston, where she was asked to change into Indian clothes and told what to say when she went to the registry office.

"She married the man, and never saw him again.

"The marriage was a complete and utter sham."

The court was told the next thing Graham, who will give evidence later in the two-week trial, heard about the marriage was in June 1997, when she was informed that her "husband" was divorcing her.

But, the court was told, she had no knowledge of letters apparently sent by her to the immigration authorities backing up her "husband's" claim for permanent residency in the country.

He was initially given a fixed-term residency, but after receiving a series of letters apparently from Graham, which included a faded photo of the couple and explaining her deep love for her partner, immigration authorities allowed him to stay in the country for good.

"Miss Graham has no knowledge of any of the letters and the signatures at the bottom of them are not hers," said Mr Globe.

"The only document she is familiar with is the divorce paper, when she was taken by Mr Patel to a solicitor's in Blackburn three months after the permanent residency had been given."

He added: "The purpose of these marriages was to try and get round the strict rules for getting residency, enabling illegal immigrants to get into the country."