AN ILLEGAL immigrant who stole a stranger's identity in a plot to stay in the country has been put behind bars.

Ismail Mansoor admitted pretending to be Qamar Abbas to overstay his welcome after help from a 'corrupt' civil service employee.

The 34-year-old's partner wailed in the public gallery as he was jailed for 10 months at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Cathy Olliver told the court Mansoor, of Cranmer Road, Oxford, came to the country as a student in 2004 from Pakistan.

He was refused an extension of his visa after claiming he was planning to study at a 'bogus' college three years later.

Mansoor later applied for leave to remain by pretending to be Mr Abbas, who had been granted asylum but had not been located since 2005.

He sent photographs of himself claiming to be Mr Abbas to the Home Office, getting a work permit, access to NHS healthcare and registering for a driving licence after help from a civil service employee who has since been arrested, Ms Olliver alleged.

The defendant wrote 11 letters to the Home Office, threatening to take staff to a judicial review for not dealing with his case quickly enough.

Mansoor, whose marriage has since been annulled, also attended immigration tribunal hearings, giving evidence under oath as Mr Abass, Ms Olliver added.

The court heard Mansoor went on to marry his 23-year-old wife in Glasgow in February and was granted leave to remain in the UK after using the fake identity.

Defence barrister Naomi Perry said Mansoor came to the UK to obtain a Masters degree in accounting but ran out of funds and was forced to stop studying.

The defendant, who had no previous convictions in this country, later started working at an Oxford accounting firm.

Mansoor was unaware he was doing anything illegal when he allegedly received help from the civil service employee, Ms Perry said.

She added: "[This is a] young man who has worked in this country and contributed whilst he has been here."

Mansoor admitted obtaining leave to enter or remain in the UK by deception, possession of an identity document with improper intention and improperly obtaining a driving licence with the DVLA.