Gangsters who made millions of pounds running Britain's largest sham marriage racket from a base in Enfield have been jailed for a total of 24 years.

Ringleader Desmond Woghiren, 41, of Monroe Crescent, and his cousin Frank Woghiren, 35, of Osborne Road, ran a service helping mostly Nigerian immigrants gain residency in Britain.

The pair, along with Idemudia Aigbedion, 40, of Edinburgh Road, Enfield, and George Tanimowo, 38, of Dunstable, Bedfordshire, set up more than 120 marriages, charging up to £10,000 for each ceremony.

Croyden Crown Court heard the gang paid unemployed marriage partners, mainly from the Dutch Caribbean colony of Curacao who had settled in the Netherlands, up to £1,500 each to take part.

They were provided with accommodation and jobs at bogus security and cleaning companies set up by Desmond Woghiren, so the Dutch nationals could claim British residency through the European Union.

After the sham wedding services, which took place at register offices in Enfield, Walthamstow and Wandsworth, the bogus partner was flown to Europe, sometimes on the same day.

Cash made from the three-year scam was then pumped into a huge property empire controlled by Desmond Woghiren.

He was arrested at his richly furnished £250,000 home.

Seized bank statements showed he had bought three properties totalling £600,000 over a five-month period.

Desmond and Frank Woghiren, along with Tanimowo, were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to make a false statement with reference to marriage.

They were jailed for nine, six and five years respectively, on Thursday. Aigbedion, who admitted conspiring to defraud, was jailed for four years.

Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Ainley said: "EU nationals have the right to work and live in the UK. Those rights are extended to their spouses whether they are EU nationals or not.

"What you have done is an example of how these rights can be abused. It is one of the worst frauds I have ever seen."

Judge Ainley ordered Frank Woghiren and Aigbedion be deported from the UK on their release from prison.

Desmond Woghiren will be allowed to stay in the UK after serving his sentence as he has rights of residency.