Sham wedding rumbled by immigration police

A sham wedding was stopped in its tracks after immigration police swooped on the registry office in Oxfordshire on Tuesday after a tip-off from the registrar.

The bride, still wearing her wedding gown and veil, and the groom were taken away in handcuffs by the police. Two witnesses, also present at the wedding-that-never-was, were also arrested on suspicion of assisting illegal immigration.

The 19-year-old Polish bride was due to marry the 30-year-old Indian groom until the registrar blew the whistle after having doubts about the couple’s wish to wed.

On the wedding day, the couple were taken into a side room prior to the ceremony. This allowed officers time to get into position before descending on the side room, arresting the waiting bride and groom.

Sham weddings are on the rise in the UK. 529 bogus weddings were reported last year, which is a 54% rise on the previous year. Due to the dramatic jump in the number of reported cases of marriages for passports, the police have launched a crackdown and have been enlisting the help of registrars in their quest to stamp out the practice.

Registrars often flag up cases of potential bogus marriages. Before a couple can tie the knot, they need to have an interview with the registrar in order to give notice of the marriage. If the registrar feels there’s something disingenuous about the couple’s wish to marry, he or she is obliged to alert the authorities.

The groom has been charged with two counts of perjury and has been remanded in custody as police fear he could flee if granted bail. The bride has been released after receiving a police caution for perjury.