Man tricked Newham Council into giving him a job

An illegal immigrant tricked Newham Council into giving him work after handing a false ID to a recruitment agency, a court heard.

Oyewola Alaleye, 36, used the forged Nigerian passport, bought for �300 in a pub, to work as a housing officer at both Newham and Ealing councils for more than a year after his student visa expired in 2004.

The married father-of-one was eventually caught after routine checks on the document, which falsely claimed he had indefinite leave to remain in the UK, revealed that its type-face and security features were wrong.

He was jailed for 10 months after admitting possessing false ID and fraud before the Old Bailey.

Passing sentence, Judge Timothy Pontius told him he had known “exactly what you were doing”.

The court heard that Alaleye originally entered the UK in 2003 on a six-month student visa, which he renewed once before its expiry a year later.

He later worked at Newham between October 2009 and February the following year, before moving to Ealing Council from April until June 2011 - earning �19 an hour.

Eleazar Anyene, defending, said Alaleye, who claims to have a degree in mechanical engineering from Nigeria’s University of Ibadan, acted out of “desperation” to provide for his family.

“He had always had enormous discomfort in living a life of fraud, and as soon as he was able to get the chance, he shredded that passport.”

The court heard that Alaleye, who is expecting a second child in December, had no previous convictions.

Alaleye, of Grays, Essex, admitted possession of false ID with intent and fraud by false representation.