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Detainees suspected of being in sham marriages were asked their wife’s bra size and underwear colour.

Men held at an immigration centre in Scotland had to give the information to prove their marriages were genuine.

The Shaw review into the welfare in detention of vulnerable persons said: “If this was indeed the case, it is questionable whether such questions were either appropriate or useful.”

The Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael MP slammed the tests as demeaning.

He said: “The Government must build on the work the Liberal Democrats did in Coalition to crack down on sham marriages.

“But if their idea of doing this is going around asking potential suspects if they know their wife’s bra size or what colour underwear she wears then I suspect that they’ll end up catching very few people trying to play the system and just a lot of bewildered men who haven’t the faintest.

“I have been in a genuine marriage for over 28 years and would not know the answer to these questions.”

The review, carried out by former prisons and probation ombudsman Stephen Shaw, looked into the welfare of immigration detainees.

Other information asked for at the Dungavel immigration removal centre included their wife’s national insurance number.

(Image: XPOSURE)

The review highlighted other issues at the same centre.

Mr Shaw’s report said: “If Dungavel is to have a long-term future within the immigration estate, the living accommodation should be refurbished to more acceptable standards, with particular attention paid to the sleeping arrangements in the women’s dormitories.

“Detainees told me there was a long wait for healthcare appointments. The dentist and optician visited only once a month.

“Uncertainty about length of detention was reported as being a significant worry, causing deterioration of welfare and mental health.”