An Army wife, who faced deportation and being split from her two young children, has been told she can stay in Britain.

Geraldine Thomas cried when she heard the news she would not have to leave after she split from her husband, Keith, in September last year.

Thanks to the help of Colchester MP Bob Russell , Mrs Thomas has been granted permission to stay indefinitely in the UK.

Mrs Thomas, 33, has lived on Colchester's Army estate since August 1997 with her two children, Kimberley and Kieron, both two years old.

She was born in the Philippines but both children were born in Colchester and are British citizens.

After she split from her husband she was no longer entitled to live in an Army home.

And it quickly became clear her documents were not in order which meant as she was no longer married to a British subject she was effectively living here illegally.

Mr Russell said: "We started off in a situation where there was no way she would be allowed to stay in the country."

But after he took up the case, which was highlighted by This Is Essex before Christmas, Mrs Thomas said she felt a lot more confident.

Mr Russell said: "A crucial fact was that the children were born in Colchester. If they hadn't been born in the UK we wouldn't have been able to do it."

When she heard her solicitor wanted to speak to her her initial reaction was one of worry, but the tears began to flow for the right reason.

"He said 'I have got good news for you', so I cried because it is over and I can stay with my kids. I'm so happy and very glad it is all over."

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