A MOTHER accused of illegally burying her stillborn baby girl is campaigning to keep her husband in the country.

Salha Baruti Navarro, 33, is asking for donations to pay legal fees for an application to stop her American husband Anthony Navarro from being deported.

Mr Navarro's visa has expired and he currently has no legal rights to be in the UK.

The couple, who have been married for 10 years and live in Nelson with their two-year-old son Ibrahim, were arrested on suspicion of concealing an infant death close to birth on October 9.

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That was after the police were contacted by a health visitor alleging that Mrs Baruti Navarro had given birth days earlier to a stillborn baby at 34 weeks and had attempted to conceal it.

Mrs Baruti Navarro, who is a British citizen of Tanzanian origin, said she gave birth in July to her stillborn daughter Maryam alone in the bathtub at around 22 weeks into her pregnancy.

Police said their investigation is 'ongoing'.

According to the NHS website there is 'no provision to allow the registration of stillbirths before the 24th week of pregnancy'.

But 'when a baby is stillborn after 24 weeks pregnancy, the stillbirth must be registered in the stillbirth register'.

Mrs Baruti Navarro, who has fibroids on the uterus, said that in their first five years of marriage the couple suffered two stillborns and the death of a premature baby.

On April 11, 2013, she gave birth to Amin Navarro but he died of pneumonia, aged just seven-months-old. Amin is buried in Ilford, London.

After visiting a spiritual healer in Cyprus, Mrs Baruti Navarro gave birth to Ibrahim, who is now nearly three-years-old.

The couple, who have previously lived in London, Tanzania and Egypt had attempted to move to America but Mrs Baruti Navarro had her visa application rejected on two occasions.

Mrs Baruti Navarro said she is now planning to apply for residency in the UK for her husband but is concerned the ongoing police investigation will see it rejected.

She said: "He is liable to be removed from the UK unless we can prove he has good reason to remain here. He does. He has a family that he wants to provide for and take care of.

"He is an amazing man and would be an exemplary member of our community if he was able to stay here legally. He would and has helped people from all walks of life. He is our entire life, our backbone and our most loyal and trusted friend.

"Tearing our family apart would be devastating. My son adores him and all those who have heard our case are sympathetic to our situation and all love him and can see his worth. We are working together with our community and they have nothing but good things to say about his character and can see our son takes after him."

A police spokesman said: "We were called around 2pm on October 9 to reports of a sudden death in Spring Street, Nelson.

"Officers attended the address following a report a woman had given birth to a baby which later died.

"The body of a baby girl was later found buried nearby.

"A 34-year-old man from Nelson was arrested on suspicion of concealing an infant death close to birth and assisting an offender.

"A 33-year-old woman from Nelson was arrested on suspicion of concealing an infant death close to birth. Both were released under investigation pending further enquiries.

"Enquiries are ongoing."

To view Mrs Baruti Navarro's fundraising page visit www.gofundme.com/x858xg-help-keep-our-family-together.