Vicar is arrested for 'organising 180 sham weddings for illegal immigrants'

A vicar has been arrested on suspicion of organising 180 sham weddings for illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe, it emerged today.

The Rev Alex Brown, 61, was detained by police following a dawn raid on his rectory home yesterday.

He was one of four people being held today, as well as a Ukrainian man, a Latvian woman - believed to be one of the brides - and an Armenian male.

Brown’s church, St Peter and St Paul in St Leonards-on-sea, East Sussex, was closed following police searches.

A handwritten note pinned to the locked door of the imposing red brick church said: ‘All appointments have been cancelled for the foreseeable future!’

More than 35 officers from the UK Border Agency and Sussex Police arrested the suspects at four addresses following an 18-month investigation into bogus weddings.

The marriages were allegedly arranged to allow people from outside Britain and the EU to stay in the country illegally by claiming residency through via their legal spouse.

Brown, 61, was held on suspicion of facilitating the illegal entry of people into Britain.

Applications for UK residency were suspended 18 months ago for people married at St Peter and St Paul while the investigation was going on.

Permanent residency is only allowed after five years of marriage.

Detective Inspector Andy Cummins, of the UK Border Agency’s Joint Immigration and Crime Team, said: ‘Today’s arrests follow an 18-month investigation into allegations that nearly 180 sham marriages had been arranged at the local St Leonards church, allowing non-EU nationals to remain within the UK and EU member states.

‘Search warrants were obtained and officers have searched premises and arrested three men and a woman.’

A spokesman for the Chichester Diocese said: ‘It is with great sadness and regret that the Bishop of Lewes has received a report of the arrest of the Rev Alex Brown, the Vicar of St Peter’s.

‘The Church has been cooperating fully with the police and other agencies since the extent and seriousness of this matter came to light.

‘The bishop is concerned for the wellbeing of the congregation at St Peter’s, who will be upset and hurt by the news.

‘He has taken steps to ensure they are looked after pastorally and every support is being given to help church life continue as normally as possible.

‘The Church requires high standards of its clergy. In that light, the Rev Brown has been suspended from his duties pending the outcome of the investigations.’

Brown announced his impending exit in the pages of the local community magazine, the Bohemia Village Voice just days before his dramatic dawn arrest. He did not mention the investigation.

The July edition, delivered this week, features a photo of the vicar smiling in his frock, next to his goodbye message.

Parishioners at his previous church, St Alban's in Crawley, West Sussex, said Rev Brown was a conscientious vicar who went out of his way to help people down on their luck.

One member of the congregation, who asked not to be named, said: 'Rev Brown was well liked and well known for going out of his way to help people with all sorts of problems, like alcoholics and drug addicts.'  

He left St Albans in the early 1990s to take up a new position in St Peter and St Paul.

He wrote: ‘It is with great sadness that I have tended my resignation to Bishop John of Chichester in order to move back to the North of England to be nearer to my family.

‘I have immensely enjoyed the parish and the people who have supported the Church, and I will be very sorry to go and leave lots of friends that I have known and loved.’

He said he would also be resigning from the governing body of St Paul’s Church C of E Primary School, after 18 years.

He said his retirement was due to start on August 31, adding: ‘I will miss Hastings and the area so much after so many years.

‘Thank you to all who have supported me, the church and the school. It has been a varied and wonderful experience.’

A man who answered the door to Brown’s detached, 1970s rectory 200 yards from the church, refused to comment.

Neighbours said they were shocked.

One pensioner, who did not want to be named, said: ‘I saw the police over there at 5am and I though it must be a problem with drug addicts or a burglary.

‘There are a lot of problems like that round here.

‘I am absolutely stunned. I have known Father Alex for 18 years and he is a wonderful priest.’

‘He was so caring to me when I lost my husband and he goes out of his way to look after alcoholics and drug addicts.

‘If he has thrown away his long, loyal service to the church to do something so stupid I will be devastated.'

Another said: ‘I didn’t even know he was a priest. He always says hello but I never saw him in a dog collar. I can’t believe he would be wrapped up in something like that.’