Cricketer told he may be deported

Hartley Alleyne says he wants to be allowed to stay in England

A former West Indies cricketer has been told he may be deported to Barbados because he is not qualified to coach the sport at a Kent school.

Hartley Alleyne, 50, who also played for Kent, Buckinghamshire and Worcestershire, has worked at St Edmund's, Canterbury for two years.

But the Home Office has turned down his request for a work permit because he does not have an NVQ Level 3.

A Home Office spokesman said it was unable to comment on individual cases.

Mr Alleyne, who was born in Barbados, has lived in the UK for 29 years and is married with children.

What better qualification could he have to coach cricket? Deputy head David Knight

He applied for the work permit when he began working at the boarding school St Edmund's but was told the job required the A-level equivalent qualification.

"An NVQ cannot produce what I have gained from cricket over the years internationally and locally," he said.

"I hope that the people who make the decision will allow me to stay in England and help youngsters and be with my family."

The school's deputy head David Knight said the school was "utterly shocked" by Mr Hartley's predicament.

"It is something we never anticipated because Hartley is an integral part of our society - parents love him, pupils love him, we all love him.

"I think he has the right to be here. He has never taken a penny from the State and has worked in his own right.

"He is highly qualified - he is a former West Indian cricketer.

"What better qualification could he have to coach cricket and work with young people?"

The school is awaiting a final decision from the Home Office on whether it will order Mr Hartley's deportation.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We don't comment on individual cases.

"But it is reasonable to expect people to return home if they don't have valid leave to be in the UK."