A woman who illegally gave advice to immigrants on getting a UK visa has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Pearl Allen, 41, pleaded guilty to five counts of unlawfully providing illegal immigration advice and services at City of Westminster Magistrates Court on December 23.

Today she was handed a four month prison sentence by Westminster magistrates on each count to run concurrently, suspended for 18 months.

She was also ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work and pay £2,800 compensation to her two victims and another £500 to cover the costs of prosecution.

It is a criminal offence to provide immigration offences or advice unless regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) which was set up to stop unscrupulous advisers.

But Allen, a non-practising barrister, of Beaconsfield Road, New Malden, charged her clients fees of between £300 and £2,000 to make visa applications to the Home Office, sometimes failing to submit their applications.

She also appeared on behalf of clients at the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal where she did not have a right of audience.

Immigration services commissioner, Suzanne McCarthy, said: "The law exists to protect people from unscrupulous immigration advisers.

"It is my office’s responsibility to enforce the law and I will prosecute those who flout the law and take advantage of their clients."