22/09/2014 BBC London News

An investigation by BBC London has uncovered evidence that

criminal gangs are arranging sham same`sex marriages to help hllegal

The government says it's looking at strengthening

the law to enable registrars to share information more readhly.

In March, same`sex marriages were finally recognised as legal.

Congratulations, you may kiss the groom.

A significant moment in history but one that has also opened the

We have been tipped off that a Romanian gang in London specialises

in arranging sham same`sex larriages to dodge immigration laws.

We sent an undercover reporter to pose as a would`be bride.

The cover story is, she's an illegal immigrant seeking

Our contact will pretend to be her uncle and act as go`between

Peter and Ricardo are suspected of supplying bogus brides.

In a nearby pub, talk quickly turns to busindss.

Days later at another meeting, a fake bride is provided.

It is clear that she is also in on the scam.

Vetting rules for citizenship are strict.

These people have passed legally, but the numbers willing to cheat

Here in Brent, the Home Offhce stop marriages on a weekly basis

It is thought that up to 30$ of marriages are for the avoidance

That only accounts for fake straight weddings.

When it comes to gay marriage, registrars are struggling.

I would have thought most registrars have some concerns

that they are performing ceremonies that are not real.

Our undercover bride is meeting her partner again, but she's not here.

The gang say she is now involved in a different fake wedding.

A replacement bride, in pink, says she has helped

She even poses for a photo shoot to be used as background evidence

From the images that you have shown me, I

would want them to be followed up by our immigration enforcement teams.

We are strengthening the law this year to enable

registrars to share information more readily to better identify sham

As our fake wedding is about to be registered, it hs Peter

I just wanted to have a chat with you about the m`rriages

They are unwilling to talk now, but once the police see

our evidence, they could each be facing up to 14 years in prhson

London's transport crisis ?risks sparking riots? if more

That's according to the man who runs the capital's tube and bus network.

Sir Peter Hendy warns of ?social unrest? if low`paid workers living

on the outskirts of London can't commute more easily into work.

It was not hard to find passengers worried about the cost of commuting.

Today, a stark warning from London's transport commissioner

Provide better services at affordable fares, or risk a repeat

of scenes like these, the riots of 2001.

I am saying that in the public spending round of

We cannot run the bus mileage London will need

beyond 2017 without a bit of extra money.

By 2030, it is thought therd will be an extra 1.5 million Londoners

And without major infrastructure projects, he warns that Londoners

may not even be able to get onto public transport at peak tiles.

He says Crossrail will be full within months.

A second Crossrail is needed, but may not be ready

We have seen infrastructure spending fall by 12% under this government.

We have seen road schemes scrapped, stalled, delayed,

big cuts to bus services, and I think

our public transport across the city is suffering from those changes

The Mayor's office told us that Boris Johnson would not be

commenting on the Transport Commissioner's views.

The Department for Transport says it shares the Mayor's commitments

and is providing significant support, but will it be enotgh

with a transport system struggling to keep up with commuters

in a capital that is getting ever bigger?

An online petition has been set up by pupils to support

a 16`year`old Muslim student who's been told she can't attend lessons

Camden School for Girls, whhch has a mixed sixth form, says its policy

is to challenge dress that doesn't allow pupil`teacher interaction

18 people had to be rescued from a fire at a block of flats

It happened at Holcroft House, near Clapham Junction.

Ten people were treated for minor injuries.

A road sweeper from Camden won more than ?4 million

on the lottery and then went to work because he didn't believe hd'd won.

Joseph Whiting bought three lucky dip tickets just nine minutds

I said to my mum, I think I have won the lottery! She said, get off! It

is too early for windups, this early in the morning. Then I got her to

sit next to me and we checkdd together. Still didn't belidve it.

Then I said, right, mum, I `m going to go to work. I will leave that to

get here. Make sure you don't do no tidying up or anything!

Time for me to wish you a very good night and hand xou over

to Wendy Hurrell for the we`ther. It is looking very much likd last

week. Fine weather on the w`y for the next few days.

Under the clear skies, we whll have temperatures of around ten or 1

degrees in urban areas. Manx of us will be facing 6 degrees tolorrow,

so a bit of a nippy start. @ bit of mist will have developed, btt that

will burn away quickly. In the afternoon, we continue with the

sunny spells drive theme. `` sunny spells and the drive theme.

Temperatures are not bad for the time of year.

For much of the UK, this week will stay drier than average and warmer

than average. We normally expect temperatures of around 22 degrees,

but by the end of the week we could get into the low 20s. With clear

skies at this time of year, it does turn chilly through the evening

More cloud in the north, with a weak weather front producing patchy and

light