THE head of a church once besieged by sham marriages has called for closer working between priests and immigration authorities.

Father Tim Codling, priest at St John the Baptist Church in Tilbury, spoke out as the Church of England issued new guidance to priests to avoid falling prey to fake wedding scams.

Drawn up by the Church’s House of Bishops, the advice includes telling priests not to publish banns – where a couple have their plans to marry read out in church on three consecutive Sundays – for people from outside the EU.

Instead, couples from outside Europe will now have to apply for a “common licence” to marry, involving making a sworn affidavit, providing proof of their identity and address, attending marriage preparation classes and allowing vicars to visit them at home.

Vicars have also been urged to contact police and the immigration services immediately if they suspect a sham marriage, where one of the couple marries the other to secure a visa in exchange for cash.

Mr Codling said many churches in the Chelmsford Diocese already demand couples from outside the EU apply for a common licence.

He said: “The guidelines are fine, providing the proper checks are done on the legal side at the registry where licences are granted.

“If church authorities work closely with the immigration services it would ensure a strong message is being sent out that all of us are cross-referencing our information. So if a person is wanted for immigration offences the chances are their application to marry may not be genuine.”

A spokesman for the Chelmsford Diocese added: “Chelmsford Diocesan Registry already recommends to clergy that couples apply in all cases to be married by common licence where one or both people come from outside the European Economic Area.

“Our registry only grants marriage licences if the identities and residency of the couples have been checked first by the parish priest and then re-checked by an authorised person and after further precautions have been taken.”

The UK Border Agency also trains Essex priests in how to check paperwork so they can spot fraudsters.