A COUPLE have appeared in court accused of carrying out an elaborate ruse to fool a biological father out of knowing he had a daughter.

The man and woman appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and were alleged to have conned the NHS, the local registrar, council officials and the child's real father for nearly three years.

They are alleged to have tried to dupe the father into thinking the child had been aborted or was never born.

The couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are accused of carrying out a fraudulent scheme both before and after the little girl was born in February 2011.

The 28-year-old mother, from Perth, and a 33-year-old man, from Glasgow, will face a trial later this year. They both denied the charge.

It is alleged that between 2010 and 2013 they carried out the fraud at Perth High Street, Perth Royal Infirmary, Perth police office and Perth Registry Office.The case was continued yesterday by Sheriff Fiona Tait.