Deportation dispute man leaves UK

Mr Cabrera was in England on his wife's visa

Campaigners for a Filipino man who lost his fight to stay in the UK after his wife died are hoping to persuade the Home Office to look again at his case.

Arnel Cabrera's wife Mayra, 30, suffered a heart attack after being given an epidural drug in the arm during childbirth in May 2004.

The 38-year-old was only permitted to live in Swindon because his wife worked as a nurse.

Solicitor Seamus Edney said Mr Cabrera left the country on Tuesday.

Mr Edney, who is now is now petitioning the Home Office to reverse its decision, added: "He just decided that enough was enough."

Mr Cabrera can re-apply from the Philippines to live in the UK, although Mr Edney said this was unlikely to be successful unless the Home Office could be shown there was strong localised support.

"At the moment, he wants to go home and spend time with his boy," he added. "He feels very let down."

Labour MP for South Swindon, Anne Snelgrove, is also involved in case and recently met officials from the Home Office.

"The Home Office is still looking at the case of Mr Cabrera," her spokesman said.

Mr Cabrera was told he could no longer stay in the UK after his wife's death

Last Friday, the Home Office confirmed it had refused his application to stay.

An inquest in February ruled Mrs Cabrera died unlawfully as a result of the actions of the hospital.

The inquest jury also said the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust was guilty of gross negligence which led to the death.

Mr Cabrera came to the UK in 2003 after his theatre nurse wife was recruited by the NHS to work at Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

But on 11 May 2004, she died at the same hospital when the epidural anaesthetic Bupivacaine was mistakenly injected into her arm.

The health trust admitted liability for the error as soon as it realised what had happened.

Mr Cabrera has been fighting a deportation order since her death and had sent his son Zachary back to the Philippines as the inquest and legal proceedings took place.

In a statement, he said: "I have been unable to return to the Philippines during this difficult period and I desperately miss my young son, Zachary."