A BURNLEY man and woman have appeared before magistrates accused of being involved in a false passport and immigration-dodging operation.

Shohidul Islam, 41, and Anwara Islam, 39, have been charged following a Home Office probe after allegedly being found with bogus passports or fake National Insurance cards.

An investigation by the newly-established Immigration Enforcement service has seen the pair quizzed over false documents involving at least seven individuals.

The pair, of Leamington Avenue, Burnley, have appeared before Pennine magistrates, each accused of nine offences of possessing or controlling an identity document.

Four are alleged to involve Bangladeshi passports - one each for Rumel Ahmed and Mohammad Noor Ali and two for Mohammad Abdul Kasham, with a further one British passport in the name of Kamal Uddin Ali.

And four other charges concern possessing National Insurance cards, one each in the names of Rois Ali, Mohammad Noor Ali and Mohammad Amin Ali and two for Mohammad Foysal Ahmed.

The pair were also each accused of assisting the unlawful immigration of Shafik Miah by helping him to overstay a visa.

And the pair are both further charged with obstructing immigration officer Neil Holt. All offences charged are dated April 1.

They were each sent for crown court trial by magistrates on condition that they surrender their own passports, report daily to Burnley police station and continue living at their Leamington Avenue address.

They will appear before a judge at Burnley Crown Court on July 7.