Twin sisters are being prosecuted after one posed as her lawyer sibling while the other was sitting as a judge.

Solicitor Gabriela Odisio found herself double booked as both a judge and an advocate on the same day – so asked her identical twin to stand in for the court hearing.

Twin Patrizia – who has a law degree but is not qualified – and her sister kept the deception working for three years swapping between courts in Vigevano and Rho in northern Italy.

Meanwhile the pair clocked up a fortune in double fees.

No one noticed what the pair were up to and the scam was only uncovered when one of Gabriela’s clients overheard her and her sister discussing their plans.

A police source said: "They were absolutely identical and knew everything about each other’s lives and colleagues so they managed to fool everyone."

Now the pair – both 50 – are being prosecuted for making false statements about their qualifications and deceiving clients.