Dorset parish in mercy dash to save family from deportation

Fourteen parishioners from St Augustine's church in Weymouth, Dorset, rushed to London today in an eleventh-hour effort to save a family from being deported. Verah Kachepah, and her children Natasha, Alex, Antony and Upili, who were members of the parish, were arrested by police at their home at 7am Sunday morning and taken to a detention centre. They were given no time to pack and have now had their phones confiscated so they cannot communicate with anyone. They are due to leave Heathrow at 8pm this evening. The family from Malawi, who have lived in England for about five years, had applied for asylum and understood that their appeal was still being dealt with by the Home Office. As soon as the parish heard what had happened they organised a petition and held a candlelit vigil last night. Parish priest Fr Philip Dyson told ICN: "Verah and her family were model parishioners. Upili was an altar server and Verah did voluntary work in our Life shop." All the children went to local church schools. Fr Philip said: "We are really shocked at what has happened. It makes you ashamed to be British. Even if there is some reason why they can't stay, we shouldn't treat them so brutally. They are a very popular family. At the vigil last night the church was rowded with many people who aren't even Catholic." Parishioner Sandra Cody and prospective Conservative Party candidate Ed Matts were driving to London this afternoon with a group of 12 parishioners to present a 900-strong petition to the Home Office asking for the family to be allowed to stay. "It 's the least we can do to support them. We are hoping for a last-minute reprieve, " said Sandra. If you would like to support the Kachepa family please contact parish SVP member Ralph Johnson on: ralph@rja-telecom.co.uk or johnsonralph@btconnect.com