This is the moment officers burst in on the sham marriage of a couple as they were about to exchange vows.
The bride and groom were led away in handcuffs after being interviewed by immigration officials in front of surprised guests.
Arrest: a 32-year-old man was held by policeThey lay in wait to call an abrupt halt to proceedings as the 32-year-old man from Nigeria and his 22-year-old bride from Portugal arrived for their ceremony in Harrow, north London.
The man has since been sent home to Nigeria, while the woman has been bailed until 7 November.
Woman bailed: The man was sent home to NigeriaSusan Hall, leader of Harrow Council, said: “We believe in a fair borough and it is simply disgraceful to lie in our registry office in order to cheat the system.”Arrest:
A woman is put into a police vanIt comes as it was claimed up to 20 per cent of civil ceremonies in cities could be a sham.Sham: The man was arrestedMark Rimmer, the chairman of the Local Registration Services Association, said the number of cases reported to the Home Office was “just the tip of the iceberg” and many more people could be abusing immigration lawWedding sham:
The man is quizzed by police. Home Office figures show the number of reported cases has tripled in the last three years to 1,800.
