POLICE traced a fake agency set up to fraudulently claim interpreters' legal fees to a Bradford law firm, a court heard.

Temporary Detective Sergeant Matthew Tunney, of West Yorkshire Police's fraud squad, investigated whether the "sham company" Legal Support Services existed.

The officer could find no evidence that LSS existed in the Bradford area but found a mobile number was registered to a consultant at Chambers Solicitors on Grattan Road.

Chambers paid the bill out of its office bank account and Mohammed Riaz, the brother of managing partner Mohammed Ayub, used the phone.

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Records linked Riaz's number to an address at Southfield Square, Manningham, at which Ayub was also living for a time before they were both listed at an address in Aireville Drive, Shipley.

Following police investigations, Riaz sent an email to Det Sgt Tunney on September 10, 2014 from an address of mail@LSSUK.co.uk.

The officer told today the jury at Sheffield Crown Court that Riaz claimed it was a "clerical error" and should have omitted the letters "UK" and read mail@LSS.co.uk which he had been using since 2010.

Riaz went on to say: "It was in no way dishonest, fraudulent or criminal."

He also went on to deny producing "fabricated" invoices.

Police found 34 examples of LSS invoices during a search of Chambers Solicitors which matched other invoices discovered during their investigation.

Patricia Hannifan, said in a statement read in court, that she originally held the internet domain name of LSS which provided legal training and consultancy for solicitors and accountants, but it was dissolved in 2010.

She had registered the name LSS.co.uk in 2004 and had never given anyone else permission to use it.

"I can't say why someone else would use this email address," she said.

She had never heard of Ayub or Riaz and had no connection with Bradford or ever used interpreters' agencies, the court was told.

Ayub, 55, of Aireville Drive, Shipley, Riaz, 48, of Southfield Square, Manningham, and Chambers immigration head Neil Frew, 48, Hoyle Court Drive, Baildon, deny conspiracy to defraud the Legal Aid Agency out of £600,000 in interpreters' fees.

The hearing is due to resume on Monday, October 31.

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