A woman has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for her part in trafficking children into the UK.

Oluwaremileken Adesina, 53, was arrested after two youngsters were caught with fake papers five years ago under a covert police crackdown called Operation Pomegranate.

One of the children was taken to a house in Gravesend and later Dartford, a court was told.

Jailing Adesina, Judge Heather Norton said she had been given a bundle of character references from a large number of people.

Judge Norton said: “They speak about how you are a committed Christian and a dedicated and protective mother.

"These references and the way in which they speak of you are in sharp contrast to the way in which you treated these girls over a period of time.

“Each of the two girls was brought to this country by you when they were about 14 with promises that you were bringing them here for a better life and good education. Each girl was excited about coming to the UK.

“But each child was given a false identity and a cover story which they were told to memorise.

"Those promises of a better life and higher standard of education did not come to pass as each child was used as unpaid help and kept in domestic servitude. They had to cook, clean and look after your children.

"They were hit by you and abused – one was hit like a punchbag.”

Adesina, a Nigerian who lives in Abbey Wood in south east London, was back in court for sentencing this week after being convicted of people smuggling dating back to 1998 and 2002 and two child cruelty charges.

The jury heard during the two-week trial that one of the child victims was taken to a house in Gravesend.

Prosecutor Sophie Shotton told how the victim had been in domestic servitude in Nigeria in the 1990s.

The father of one of the victims introduced the girl to Adesina in the belief she would be coming to the UK to be educated.

Ms Shotton added that the girl flew to Britain alone but was met at the airport by a woman known as “Big Momma” and taken to Peckham in south London.

Ms Shotton said: “For a while she was registered at a primary school, even though she was far older and under a different name and date of birth.

"She was withdrawn from school once the authorities began to express concern about her care and well-being.”

Ms Shotton said afterwards the child “remained a prisoner in the house” and was subjected to beatings and later made to sleep on the floor when Adesina moved to Ireland.

The jury heard that in 2001 the family returned to Britain and another child, aged 10 or 11, arrived from Nigeria and went to live with “Big Momma”.

“Throughout the time the eldest victim lived with Adesina she was treated badly… she was regularly slapped and hit, made to work and not allowed to go to school" - Sophie Shotton

Ms Shotton said: “At this point they were housed in Gravesend in a basement flat when Adesina’s husband started coming to the house and there was a further flare-up of domestic violence leading them to move to Dartford.”

The jury heard how “Big Momma” arrived at Adesina’s home with the youngest of the children saying she did not want her any more.

Ms Shotton added that the two children were often locked in the house and punished for breaking crockery. Eventually they were moved to Thamesmead.

She said: “Throughout the time the eldest victim lived with Adesina she was treated badly… she was regularly slapped and hit, made to work and not allowed to go to school.”

She was not given money for herself and was only clothed in hand-me-downs.

On one occasion when the child received a Christmas card from someone she had met, Adesina punished her by shaving off her hair, she said.