A bogus professor illegally provided immigration advice in exchange for thousands of pounds, a court has heard.

Max Kingsley, 59, of Majestic Court, Lewis Crescent, Margate, passed himself off as a professor and spent six years conning people desperate for help.

Southwark Crown Court heard that his victims were often left out of pocket with their immigration status in jeopardy due to his poor handling of their cases.

One of his victims from Lithuania paid over £5,000 in personal savings to Kingsley to lodge an appeal against a refused marriage application.

The case was eventually resolved without the need for an appeal when Lithuania joined the European Union in 2004 - but Kingsley refused to offer a refund.

Suzanne McCarthy, the Immigration Services Commissioner, said: "Preying on vulnerable members of the community and providing hope where no hope existed, Kingsley charged exorbitant fees to his victims, leaving them with nothing to show other than a string of debts."

Kingsley, who worked from offices in London and Hitchin, Hertfordshire, was not registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) to provide immigration advice.

His registration application, made in April 2001, was refused as the OISC decided he was not fit or competent to provide immigration advice.

Kingsley, who was born in Iran, was convicted on Friday on 12 counts of illegally providing immigration advice or services in exchange for money.

He will be sentenced on September 11 at Southwark Crown Court.