Danias Mupasu, 51, of Regent Street, was sentenced to nine months after admitting obtaining employment by deception and using a false instrument.

He earned more than £50,000 and remained in the country for four years before the offences were discovered.

At Warwick Crown Court Louise Pierpoint, prosecuting, said Mupasu entered the UK in June 2004 on a six-month visa.

He remained after that expired, and in April 2005 made a claim for asylum. He was issued with a registration card which was endorsed 'employment prohibited.'

But using the letter, for which he had paid £150 in October 2004 after seeing an advert in a newspaper, Mupasu conned a Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust senior nursing officer to land an NHS job, starting work in November 2004.

He began work as a full-time health care assistant at the Heathcote House residential home for adults with learning difficulties.

When arrested four years later, he reportedly said: "Well, you've got to survive, haven't you?"

Maninder Kalsi, defending, said Mupasu had been motivated 'by a desire to feed his family.'

She said: "Your Honour may be aware of the extremely difficult situation in Zimbabwe. Inflation is running high and employment is very difficult to find.

"Having arrived in this country and seen an opportunity, he obtained false documentation which he went on to use to obtain employment in the NHS.

"He earned £50,000 gross, but of course he did pay taxes and National Insurance contributions on his earnings."

Recorder Adrian Redgrave QC was told Mupasu's ability to do the work was never in doubt.

But jailing him, he said: "The dishonest obtaining and then use of that letter from the Home Office is serious, and courts always impose a prison sentence, partly to impress on people who might be tempted to do the same sort of thing what the consequences will be.

"You have to your credit your good character hitherto and the fact that you came clean straight away with the police and pleaded guilty."