AN ALBANIAN man caught with fake ID in a Balloch street has been jailed after a court heard he had entered the UK illegally.

A hearing in Dumbarton last week was told that Edi Flora's actions had brought shame on the rest of his family.

Flora, 28, was sentenced at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on February 18.

He had pleaded guilty in January to two charges under the Identity Documents Act of 2010, as well as to two road traffic offences.

Last month's hearing was told the deception came to light after police spotted a man sitting in a parked Volkswagen Passat, with a rear tyre on the pavement, in Miller Road, Haldane on October 30 last year.

When Flora got out of the car, he presented a driving licence and health ID card which, at first glance, looked to be Italian, and bore the name ‘Guglielmo D’Angelo’.

But officers spotted that Flora looked nervous and appeared to be trying to hide something – and when they carried out a drugs search, one of the cops found a bank card with the 29-year-old’s correct name.

That prompted Flora to confess his real name and date of birth to the cops.

He was arrested, taken to court the next day and remanded in custody before pleading guilty to four charges at a hearing on January 21, when background reports were ordered.

Flora's solicitor, Gordon Nicol, told last week's hearing: "His family are very upset and ashamed that Mr Flora came into the country in the manner he did.

"I don't think he wanted to admit to them that everything was not as it should be.

"He has instructed solicitors who specialise in immigration law and is trying to regulate his situation, but I have no idea what the future holds as far as his status in this country is concerned."

Mr Nicol said Flora had been "absolutely honest" with the social worker who prepared the background report and had not tried to justify his behaviour.

"Mr Flora is assessed as being at low risk of reoffending, and at minimal risk of causing harm to other people."

Mr Nicol asked Sheriff Maxwell Hendry to consider an alternative to a prison sentence, saying that Flora would comply with an unpaid work order and a restriction of liberty order.

But Sheriff Hendry said only a custodial term was appropriate.

"You planned and entered into an arrangement which allowed you to obtain false identity documents," he said.

"You entered this country illegally, and when initially spoken to by police you attempted to conceal the true facts.

"Those offences cannot be dealt with other than by a custodial sentence.

"In ant event, it may be that your future, in the short to medium term, does not lie in this country."

Flora was handed a 12-month prison sentence, backdated to October 31.

He was also fined £225 for each of the road traffic matters – driving without insurance and driving without a licence – but no time was sought to pay the fine, and the alternative – a further 14 days in prison on each charge – was imposed instead.