article_snippet: Former deputy leader of Rotherham Council Emma Hoddinott (pictured) admitted there are illegal, underage brides in the town's Roma community .
article_snippet: Roma gipsy immigrants are illegally marrying underage girls as young as 12 before bringing Roma gipsy immigrants to UK to live.
article_snippet: Girls as young as 12 and 13 are regularly being married off in exchange for thousands of pounds in countries including Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary Hungary before being brought to Britain.
article_snippet: this week has prompted calls for an urgent investigation into how many child brides are living in Britain's estimated 250,000-strong Roma community.
article_snippet: The arranged marriages of girls under 16 is common in Roma communities, where families follow the Gypsy code Pachiv which encourages girls to marry soon after reaching puberty.
article_snippet: former deputy leader Emma Hoddinott finally admitted there are illegal brides in the town's large Eastern European immigrant community, adding it was 'unacceptable'.
article_snippet: I asked are there any people in the town's large Eastern European immigrant community in Rotherham married to underage children - that's under 16-years-old. 
article_snippet: We need a bit of honesty for the people of Rotherham or We will go nowhere.' former deputy leader Emma Hoddinott replied: 'It's a simple answer - yes, children are being married underage and that is unacceptable. '
article_snippet: Rotherham Council (pictured) heard there are underage illegal child brides in the town's Roma community . '
article_snippet: Underage marriage is an issue in Rotherham and We have to tackle that.
article_snippet: We need to get it right - We can't write off those girls because those girls are in the town's Roma community.'
article_snippet: Speaking after the meeting Cllr Parker said: 'Officially in Rotherham there are 6,500 Roma gypsies but unofficially it is more like 7,500.
article_snippet: Cllr Parker said young Roma girls are being married off and brought to Rotherham . '
article_snippet: I believe there are young Roma girls who come over here already married.
article_snippet: young Roma girls who come over here already married couldn't possibly legally marry here. '
article_snippet: Just because a child is allowed to marry at the age of 12 or 13 in another country doesn't mean We have to change
highlights_snippet: Roma immigrants are marrying off underage girls for thousands of pounds .
  
highlights_snippet: Young girls from Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary are then brought to UK .
  
highlights_snippet: Admitted there are underage brides in the town's Roma community .
  
highlights_snippet: Revelation has prompted calls for an urgent investigation into how many underage brides are living in in UK's Roma immigrant community .
  