A MAN who used a false passport and national insurance card to secure a job cannot be deported as the authorities do not know where he originally comes from, a court was told.

Tony Williams' original status had been in dispute ever since he entered the country ten years ago using a bogus identity document, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The 34-year-old was arrested after by police after he began working at a food processing plant on Teesside.

He produced a Nigerian passport and a national insurance card as proof of his eligibility to work. But the passport contained a number of counterfeit stamps and the card number was printed using an incorrect typeface and in fact belonged to someone else.

Prosecuting, Rachel Masters said Williams had been jailed for nine months after entering the UK in October 2004 with a German identity document which was also was false.

After his release he claimed asylum, which was turned down, but continued to appeal until his rights were exhausted.

Ms Masters said that from June 2005 Williams continued to live in the UK effectively as an illegal immigrant and had only recently been allowed leave to remain.

She said: “His nationality remains in dispute which means he cannot be removed from the UK.”

Williams, of Maple Street, Middlesbrough, admitted two counts of possessing false ID documents.

Barrister Duncan McReddie said he had been exploited by another man who secured his employment, but took half his wages and a deduction for his rent.

He said: “He is not here to sponge off society and has been working in a proper job.”

Recorder Paul Camp said he had considered jailing Williams, but instead gave him a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for a year.