A grandmother from Bradford has told of her heartbreaking struggle to marry her Tunisian lover.

Veronica Garcia, 51, met her 28-year-old sweetheart while on holiday in Tunisia last year.

The divorcee said a bond immediately built between them and she returned to stay with Mohammed Tarkhani on three occasions after they met.

"It was not long before we realised we wanted to spend our lives together and began making arrangements to get married," said Mrs Garcia, of Allerton, Bradford.

And on her latest trip to the North African country last month, the happy couple put their plans into practice.

After realising that they could not marry in Tunisia because the relevant notice had not been given, they decided to return to tie the knot at Bradford Register Office.

"In order to get everything arranged we had to go to the British embassy in Tunis three times. From Mohammed's home that was a two-and-a-half hour journey each way in the sweltering heat," said Mrs Garcia.

And she said the charge for the settlement visa and various other documents such as birth and divorce papers translated into Arabic, cost about £300.

"We were both interviewed at the embassy individually for around half-an-hour. There were translators there and it was like having a four way conversation - it was very confusing."

Shortly afterwards, Mohammed was called into a room to hear the devastating news his visa application had been turned down.

"I completely cracked up," said Mrs Garcia. "I was in tears and completely hysterical."

The official notice to Mohammed explained that the immigration service "is not satisfied that you and your fiancee intend to live permanently with each other as man and wife."

Mrs Garcia said: "They think it is just a hoax marriage to get Mohammed into the country. It is just upsetting and insulting. If they saw us together they would know our feelings are true."

She has now launched her bid to overturn the decision, making an official appeal and contacting the Immigrants' Advice Service. "If that fails I will go out and marry him there, even if I have to come home afterwards. I did not plan to fall in love with Mohammed - in some ways I wish we hadn't so I did not have to go through this heartbreak."

She added: "But we will be together eventually - our love will see us through this."