AN illegal immigrant who tried to open a bank account with false documents has been jailed for two years.

Yilmaz Dogan went into Swindon's Canal Walk branch of the HSBC bank with a Belgian passport and driving licence in the name Davoud Marashi.

But the 37-year-old, who had only been in the country for a few weeks after arriving on the back of a lorry, was caught when a member of staff got suspicious.

Sam Butterfield, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court the defendant went into the bank on July 10 with his landlord to help interpret for him.

He said the member of staff asked for identification and Dogan produced the passport and a bill from British Gas.

The defendant, who needed a Turkish interpreter in court, said he had been living at the address for two months and that he had previously lived in Belgium.

"But when he was asked he could not provide an address in that country," Mr Butterfield said.

"It was explained that the application could not continue."

The following day Dogan and another man returned to the bank and while they were speaking to the member of staff the manager called the police who arrested him.

When police searched his house they found documents with an address in Antwerp, Belgium, and signatures matching the passport.

Mr Butterfield said "During the course of interview he said he had entered the UK two months prior to the offence on the back of a lorry having previously been in Belgium.

"He said he needed to open a bank account so he could receive money rom Turkey. He used the passport and driving licence as ID to open an account."

Dogan, of Crombey Street, admitted possessing false identity documents.

Terry McCarthy, defending, said his client entered the UK in a container and paid people smugglers 8,000 Euros to get here and they provided him with the false papers. He said he had hoped to claim asylum here but now faced being deported.

"A male named Hussain provided him with the false passport and driving licence. He said this was the only way he could come into the country."

Jailing him, Judge Charles Wade said: "It is serious because this was a deliberate attempt to use these documents to get a bank account."