THE leader of a race equality council has spoken of his sadness after a former director of his group was jailed for defrauding the Home Office by claiming illegal immigrants were students at a fictitious college.

Alf Webley, 56, who was director of Wycombe Race Equality Council from 1973 until 1998, was sentenced to two years in jail at Oxford Crown Court last week after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to defraud the Home Office.

Ranjit Dheer, current director of the Wycombe Race Equality Council, said: "I came to Wycombe Race Equality Council five years ago. From all accounts, Alfred Webley had tremendous respect in the community. He helped a great many people and he was respected for his roles as a magistrate and a community leader. We are all so sad that it has ended in this way."

Webley, from Norwood, London, who was at one time a magistrate in High Wycombe, lied to officials using a friend's address as a college to claim that nine illegal immigrants were students.

He made £400 from one of the fake applications and was intermittently living with another of the asylum seekers.

With the help of accomplice Isa Ibrahim, 47, of Cater Road, Lane End, fake documents were created to back up the false applications.

Ibrahim was sentenced to four months imprisonment at Oxford Crown Court last Friday.

Judge Peter Crawford told Ibrahim that his was a lesser role and that he accepted his guilt immediately, helping officers in the investigation and appearing as a prosecution witness. But he had to impose a custodial sentence.