A WELDER born and bred in East Lancashire who has been told he must leave the UK by immigration officials says he has been ‘overwhelmed’ by the support he has received since his story became public.

Former Colne Primet Academy pupil Shane Ridge, who works for Kirk Environmental Ltd in Blackburn, said he was left shocked when he received a letter saying he had no legal right to reside in the UK because of a legal loophole.

As reported in the Lancashire Telegraph, Mr Ridge, who has a British father and an Australian mother, received the letter out of the blue months after his application for a British passport was refused.

If the deportation was to go ahead Mr Ridge, who lives in Birtwistle Avenue, Colne, would be sent to Australia even though he has never lived there.

Since the story broke, Mr Ridge has had messages of support from around the world and a petition lobbying the Government to halt deportation proceedings received more than 2,000 signatures in the first 24 hours.

Mr Ridge said: “The support I have received has been overwhelming. I have had so many requests for interviews and an Australian chat show was even talking about my case.

“Nothing can take away the worry and concern I feel but the fact people are being so positive and telling me not to worry has given me some comfort.

“My work have been very supportive and have given me a few days off. They have told me to let them know if there is anything they can do to help.

“I am still waiting to hear back from the Government. I sent my British Citizenship application off last Wednesday but I still haven’t heard anything back.”

According to the British Nationality Act 1981, anyone born between 1983 and 2006 could not gain British citizenship through their father, if their mother wasn’t British, unless their parents were married. After 2006 mixed nationality parents did not have to be married for their child to claim British citizenship.

When he was born, Mr Ridge’s mother, an Australian citizen with ‘right to abode’ in Britain, was not married to his father Paul Ridge resulting in him gaining Australian citizenship.

After hearing about the case, Lord Tony Greaves said he would be writing to the Government to try and resolve the issue.

Meanwhile people have also posted on social media in support of Mr Ridge.

Janet Francis posted on Facebook: “He has every right to remain here. I hope his MP intervenes and common sense prevails.”

Thomas Smith, who lives in Bradford, wrote: “He is an old work friend a stand up guy and should not be treated this way. He is a asset to this country.”

To view the petition go to www.change.org/p/goverment-let-this-lad-stay.