SEVEN asylum seekers were jailed for four months after they were caught working illegally at a pizza factory.

Bolton Crown Court heard that the men caught in an imigration raid at a Westhoughton food company had escaped to England from Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia after suffering torture and persecution.

All seven, aged between 25 and 38, had exhausted all rights of appeal to stay in the UK and their benefits and legal aid had been stopped, the court heard.

They were all arrested on August 3, working illegally at Stateside Foods, in Westhoughton, during an immigration crackdown. All had used false documents to gain employment.

The court heard the men, described by Judge Alistair Warnock as "fundamentally honest people", were desperate to remain in the country and needed the money from working in the pizza factory to mount further private legal campaigns.

They were jailed after they admitted charges of using a false instrument and obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception. Judge Warnock said they should only serve half their sentences.

The judge was applauded by friends and family of the accused in the packed public gallery, when he said: "I accept that in a desperate plight to remain in this country, you resorted to dishonesty."

The court heard that the seven, Guylan Akela, aged 25, of Ormrod Street, Bolton, Noel Chivavaya, aged 27, of Closebrook Road, Wigan, Kinolo Kikeni, aged 34, of Queensgate, Bolton, Bonnet Mbombila, aged 33, of Bromwich Street, Bolton, Muledi Kingombe, aged 29, of Quebec Street, Bolton, Blaise Nkieekobo, aged 30, of Hughes Street, Bolton and Matoumona Gisunda, aged 38, of Blackledge Street, Bolton, had all had their benefits and legal aid stopped because of their failed asylum bids.

Desperate to remain in the country they had obtained jobs using forged documents such as fake passports, counterfeit national insurance cards and false home office letters, in order to earn enough to hire lawyers privately to fight their asylum bids.

The court heard all of the men were working more than 35 hours a week for less than £200 and that a number had families to support.

Judge Warnock was told all the men had harrowing stories of persecution from their country of origin. Muledi Kingombe had been a restaurant manager in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kinolo Kikeni fled from the Democratic Republic of Congo after being jailed and tortured for taking part in a demonstration against the government.

An eighth man Bielleau Diallo, aged 18, of St Helen's Road, Bolton, originally from Guinea, was also facing the same charges but he had his case adjourned.

His case was sent back to Bolton Magistrates Court.