Teenager fights deportation order

Candice and her mother Karen on their way to Downing Street

A teenager who is facing deportation from her North Yorkshire home to South Africa is petitioning the prime minister to allow her to stay.

Candice Chesher, 18, has been refused permission to stay in Ripon with her family, who were given leave to remain in the UK in 2003.

Her mother, step-father and brother all have either Irish or UK passports - Miss Chesher has South African papers.

The family are taking a 2,000-signature petition to Downing Street.

Miss Chesher's biological father is South African.

The Home Office fought a legal battle claiming the teenager had no right to stay in the country and must return to South Africa.

It's our responsibility as parents to take care of our children Mother Karen Chesher

After Miss Chesher's initial application to stay in the country had been rejected, the family successfully appealed against the ruling so they could stay together.

But the Home Office won a counter-appeal on the grounds of "an error in law".

The family are now hoping the petition may win a change of heart.

Another option open to them is to challenge the decision in the High Court, but the family fear the cost of such a case.

Leaving Leeds Bus Station on Wednesday morning to deliver the petition, her mother Karen Chesher said: "Because Candice is on a South African passport she's not entitled to a British or Irish passport.

"They [the Home Office] say she can go back to South Africa and live with somebody else.

"It's not their responsibility, it's our responsibility as parents to take care of our children."

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We do not comment on individual cases.

"However, we seek to remove all those with no legal basis to remain in the UK, but only after all appeal rights have been exhausted."