Police and immigration officials want to question a businessman, who used offices in Bradford, after members of a touring women's cricket team vanished in a suspected immigration scam.

Police in India and immigration officials in Britain are keen to speak to 57-year-old Ravi Sharma, pictured, who brought the Punjabi women's cricket team to England earlier this month, in connection with an alleged people-smuggling racket.

Five members of the team, from Jalandhar in central Punjab, disappeared just three days after they arrived in England from their accommodation in Hounslow, London.

Mr Sharma is understood to have set up a business, Lynex Tours and Travels, in January to organise sporting tours of Britain, with registered offices in Jalandhar and in Leeds Road, Bradford.

But the owner of the premises he used in Bradford, Prime Travel and Tours, said Mr Sharma had been bringing cricket teams to Britain, and also Europe, for two years.

Prem Grover said he was introduced to Mr Sharma two years ago and he had occasionally used a back room at his office for his cricket travel business.

But Mr Grover said he had not seen Mr Sharma for 18 months.

He said: "He brought cricket teams in from India to tour London, Bradford, Manchester and Europe. They would play and then go back to India.

"He would come into our office and make a few phone calls and ask for my advice on travel fares.

"He would only be in the office for 30 or 40 minutes. In total, he must have used the office for about two weeks and I last saw him 18 months ago.

"I have tried to contact him several times since, without success. I have even called India, where he lives.

"He struck me as a clever man. He would come over every six months with cricket teams. I would very much like to speak to him."

Mr Sharma's home in India has been raided and his wife and son are being sought by police.

The chief of police in Jalandhar, Inspector General Joginder Paul Birdi, said: "This is a very serious case which we are working on.

"For some years we have known that people were using wrestling and hockey tours to the UK, America and Canada to side-step immigration regulations. This appears to be the first time cricket has been used."

Immigration officials in Britain and Indian police are expected to question Mr Sharma and trace the movements of the sporting teams he has brought to the UK.

The women's team arrived in England on August 9. They played two games in Herefordshire but three further games were cancelled after the five players, aged between 19 and 25, vanished.

After their disappearance Mr Sharma claimed the players' parents were involved in an organised scheme for them to stay permanently in Britain.

He declared: "I think they are all part of this plan which we had no idea about until the girls vanished."

He said he was returning to Jalandhar a week early amid fears that the women's parents would attack the team's headquarters because he had contacted the British authorities.

But Home Office sources confirmed Mr Sharma was wanted for questioning.

And a Home Office spokeswoman declared: "If there is any evidence of abuse of the immigration system we will be notified and we will act upon any intelligence received."