A DRIVING instructor and an examiner have been convicted of accepting bribes to pass students.

Salima Rashid, 49, of St George’s Avenue, Grays, took money from pupils she taught, of up to £1,000 a time, from January 1, 2007, until last June saying she would get them passed at the Barking Test Centre.

The grandmother of eight would then split the cash between two different examiners at the centre, including 38-year-old Nick Madigan, of Kitkatts Road, Canvey.

During a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Rashid denied she had ever taken bungs from students or had any knowledge about the scam, blaming the examiners and her “corrupt” pupils.

But jurors found her guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery and Rashid was sentenced to two years imprisonment.

One former student, Nadia Ali, said she had handed over a envelope, stuffed with £1,000 cash, to her instructor on the day of her test.

She went on to pass, despite having a near miss with an oncoming car during her exam.

Madigan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and is due to be sentenced next month.

One learner, Gurpal Bhogal, had told the court during the trial he had been failed by Madigan in January 2008, but just minutes later was offered a pass by the examiner in return for a sum of cash.

Judge Simon Wilkinson said Rashid had committed an offence which was “serious on many levels”.

Judge Wilkinson added: “As an officially approved driving instructor, the public expected you to maintain the highest standards in relation to that position. Instead you betrayed them.”

Another examiner, Kulwinder Mann, 47, from Chadwell Heath, had passed students after taking backhanders without even taking them out onto the road.

Mann was judged unfit to plea as he suffers from mental health problems, but was found guilty of doing an act relating to conspiracy to commit bribery, obtaining a pecuniary advantage and money laundering. He will be sentenced on April 8.