A man was handed out a five-year jail sentence for his part in in bogus marriages racket.

Ibrahim Patel, 50, of Dartford Close, Blackburn, was one of three men jailed at Preston Crown Court for his role in the scam which involved fake brides and grooms being lined up for illegal immigrants who wanted either to come to Britain or stay in the UK.

Patel was described by Judge David Boulton as one of the main players in the racket, which was centred in Blackburn but reached as far as Bombay.

Patel pleaded guilty to four charges of assisting illegal immigrants into the country after initially denying involvement. He set up the fake marriages for them and then providing documentation which was supposed to prove to immigration officials that the matrimony was genuine. Judge Boulton sentenced him to two-and-a-half years for two of the offences and two-and-a-half years for the other two, with the sentences to run consecutively.

The judge told Patel that, despite his claims otherwise, the racket was obviously operated for cash.

He told him the maximum sentence he could get was seven years, but he was taking into account his change of plea.

Judge Boulton said, "The fact is that you knew exactly what the law was, having being convicted before," he said.

"I accept you were not the prime mover, but you were certainly the first lieutenant in the operation."

The prime mover Ismail Pirbhai, 49, is due to be sentenced later this month.

Sarfraz Dudhwala, 24, of Whalley Range, Blackburn, and Mohammed Nasib, 22, of Snow Street, Blackburn, were recruited into the racket with the offer of money -- around £5,000 which they never received -- and a holiday in Bombay.

Each were charged with one offence. Nasib was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, which will run concurrently with a three-and-a-half-year jail term for supplying drugs which he is currently serving.

Dudhwala was jailed for two years.

Mr H Patel, nephew of Ibrahim, attended court and said, "This is very unfair. He has a heart condition and we will certainly be appealing."

DC Tim Maddox, who led the investigation, said, "We are very pleased at the first sentences given out.

"It has been a long and protracted investigation which has had up to five officers working on it at any one time.

"However, this isn't even the tip of the iceberg. Our intelligence suggests that it goes on all over the country."