A RETIRED woman hoping to settle in Hereford with her husband of 45 years has been banned from entering the UK.

Canadian resident Maria Summers, 67, was refused permission to permanently settle in this country with her British-born husband, David, earlier this summer.

The couple, who have been together since 1966 and own a mortgage-free house in Holme Lacy, were hoping to re-locate from Canada together to care for Mr Summers' mother who has terminal cancer.

They were planning to appeal the judge's decision but permission to do so has this week been refused with immigration officials saying her money as a consultant will cease if she settles here.

The decision has left British passport holder Mr Summers in Herefordshire, and Mrs Summers, who has a Canadian passport, thousands of miles apart. She is set to move into an apartment in Canada.

Mr Summers says his wife cannot return to the UK on a temporary visa until spring, although even this is dependent on immigration officials granting her another temporary stay.

"It doesn't make much sense," said Mr Summers, who is 70 and was diagnosed with bladder cancer last month.

"There is really no reason to refuse. Right from the beginning we have had enough money.

"Now they are saying she will not get her money if she was here which is nonsense. We're not happy about this. It's disgraceful."

Mr Summers says he is travelling to Canada in November and will visit the British Embassy while over there.

He says he cannot relocate back to Canada as the reason he came to the UK was because of his 95-year-old mother's ill health.

Mrs Summers has previously been refused a permanent visa because the judge said she “had not provided sufficient evidence” that she met financial requirements, despite Mrs Summers insisting the relevant documents had been submitted.

Earlier, a judge had questioned whether they were in an affectionate relationship – despite the pair being married for 45 years.

The couple have their own home and savings while Mrs Summers earns money from her consultancy work for an optical company based in Canada.

Earlier this year they were reunited for the first time in a year when Mrs Summers was granted a temporary visa which ended in August when she returned to Canada.