A MAN who flew across the world to marry a woman he met on the Internet is fighting to get her home after she was banned from entering Britain.

Stewart Hindle married his cyber sweetheart Tina Evans in Hawaii last month after a whirlwind romance on the information super-highway.

But the couple are living on opposite sides of the globe because of Home Office immigration regulations.

Stewart, an engineer who works at Chadfort Engineering, Blackburn, and also runs his owns computer company from his home in Padiham, said: "I met Tina while browsing on a chat forum last year. We had everything in common and got on really well.

"It surprised me because I was expecting to meet someone in England, but found someone on the other side of the world.

"Everything seemed to be right. I think if we had met and things weren't right we would not have got married. As soon as we met it was like we had known each other for years."

But what seemed like a dream come true in paradise has turned into a nightmare in Padiham for Stewart.

Tina, 35, an American secretary from the Tampa Bay area of Florida, must wait in Hawaii until Home Office officials process her application for the right of abode in the UK.

She has even been banned from visiting the UK because of the potential for abusing the system.

Now Stewart, 42, of Palmerston Street, Padiham, wants government officials to do more to get his American bride into Britain.

He added: "I have had to prove I've got a job, send bank statements off with letters from the building society and Tina's got to prove she will be able to get a job and and that she is able to support herself.

"It's very frustrating when they seem to be letting people into the country left, right and centre.

"It's been hard work trying to sort everything out over the phone. Tina rang me yesterday at 2.30 in the morning to talk about things, I think she sometimes forgets about the time difference."

Stewart has even contemplated moving to Hawaii but admits he and Tina would be better off in Britain.

"I would love to go and live out there in Hawaii. Everything is so relaxed and it's a real multi cultural society, but my job and my business are here so we thought it best to live in England", he added.

Because Tina is applying for the right of abode in the United Kingdom Home Office officials have told the couple the application must be sent from Hawaii.

A Home Office spokesman said they had just started work on applications for March 2003, but a staff shortage could mean further delays. Only when Tina has lived in the UK for three years can she apply for British citizenship.

The Home Office spokesman added: "The wife or husband of a British citizen may apply for naturalisation after living in the United Kingdom legally for three years. Applications for right of abode cannot be considered while the applicant is a visitor because the system is open to abuse."

All this has added to Stewart and Tina's frustration. Stewart added: "I don't see why Tina can't come as a visitor for six months and apply while she is staying with me."