ANOTHER Czech woman has admitted taking part in a sham marriage in an Accrington church.

Yesterday, the Lancashire Telegraph revealed that a specialist joint UK Borders Agency and Lancashire Police Immigration Crime Team is investigating dozens of suspicious ceremonies where illegal immigrants marry EU citizens in order to stay in the UK.

At Burnley Crown Court, Natasa Lakatosova, 38, of Cranborne Road, Wavertree, Liverpool, admitted bigamy and was warned by the judge that she faces jail.

Lakatosova, from the Czech Republic, pleaded guilty to going through a form of marriage in Accrington with Samuel Adeyemi on July 9, 2009, during the life of her husband.

Lakatosova, who is said to live with her husband, made frank admissions to police, the hearing was told. She has no previous convictions.

She was bailed for a pre-sentence report and warned by Judge Philip Butler: “The fact that I am adjourning for a pre-sentence report does not mean, and you must not believe, that you will necessarily by sentenced to whatever the report writer suggests. This is a serious offence which could result in a prison sentence. All options will be considered."

Her plea came after a Czech woman and Nigerian man were jailed earlier this week for a sham wedding in Accrington.

Police believe there have been at least 40 bogus marriages in Accrington churches. City-based crime gangs are said to be targeting Accrington because they believe priests are not 'alive to the abuse'.

But Lancashire Telegraph columnist Rev Kevin Logan, who was the vicar of Christ Church in Accrington, before retiring, defended the clergy in the town.

He said: "We have a lot of common sense in the area and we can tell who is real for the most part. We are men and women of the world and it would be very rare to get past us.

“We’ve got our wits about us. It takes quite a lot to hoodwink a vicar these days, but there are some clever gangs and con artists so it is a possibility. We are on our guard.

“Lots of preparation and formality goes into a church wedding so there are opportunities to spot a fake.”

Rev Logan said he had never experienced a ‘sham marriage’ during his tie in the ministry and said the Lancashire Telegraph’s revelations had ‘come as a surprise’.