THE Kenyan wife of a Haxby man is now set to sit an English language test on May 11 in a bid to avoid being deported.

Robert Earnshaw said his wife Marysella is hoping to get a photocopy of her passport from the UK Border Agency so she can sit the exam, at a cost of £135.

He said she will simultaneously lodge an appeal against deportation with the agency, and then subsequently submit the English language test certificate when she receives it. The agency has said she needs such a certificate to be able to stay in England.

Mr Earnshaw said he had been told it could take three to four months for a decision on the appeal, and in the meantime, she had been banned from doing any work.

He said this would leave them facing severe financial problems and anyone willing to assist should email him at robertearnshaw639@aol.com