A NEWLYWED Blackpool couple have been left broken-hearted and out of pocket this week after French Police wrecked their romantic honeymoon plans.

The teacher bride and her security worker husband had saved hard for eight months for their honeymoon in Paris.

But they were turned back at Charles de Gaulle airport on Tuesday, because police claimed the groom's Kenyan passport did not have the right visa.

The couple, who've asked not to be named, were at home yesterday (Wednesday) where the disappointed bride told how their dream trip turned to disaster.

"It was the first time we'd travelled away together. We'd planned a couple of nights in Paris as our belated honeymoon," she said.

They married in February, but could not afford to go away until now, she said. Her husband had moved to the UK from Kenya, retaining his Kenyan passport and successfully applying for a visa. He was also granted a spouse's visa.

"When he got the visa from the Home Office we especially asked if he was allowed to travel to other countries. We were told he was free to travel in and out of countries as he wished."

But the French police thought differently.

The distressed bride told how officers took the couple's passports away, led them from one office to another, refused to put anything in writing and threatened them with arrest before finally sending them home.

"It was very difficult to make ourselves understood.

"We were taken to a police office where nobody could speak in English so we were trying to speak in very pidgin French."

The problem seemed to be with the wording of one of the visas, which shows the holder has 'leave to remain in the UK'. The newlyweds believe the officer dealing with the case read it as 'the holder should not leave the UK'.

"Eventually she did start speaking English. If you attempted to correct her on anything she got quite threatening.

"We weren't offered a seat, we weren't offered a drink. She informed us that if we didn't keep quiet she would take my husband away to a confined room where he would be with an armed policed guard. She said we were very lucky that she made the decision not to do that.

"She said she didn't need to call the Home Office, she'd made the decision and she was going to send us back the UK."

They returned to Manchester glad their seven hour ordeal was over, but bitterly disappointed. And there was one final blow: the incident which cost them their holiday and the re-arranged flight was not covered by their insurance.

The couple have e-mailed the Home Office about their treatment, but it will be a long time before they can save up enough to try for their honeymoon again.

"Maybe we were given the wrong advice -- but he'd had to show his passport at least three times at Manchester and there were no problems. We had proof of our booking and our return tickets.

"It's put me off going back to France. They were very rude.

"We've lost our honeymoon and all our money -- the hotel was paid for in advance. There'll still be an empty bed there tonight," she said.