Leukaemia transplant blocked by Home Office visa denial Published duration 15 October 2016

image copyright ACLT image caption May Brown was diagnosed with leukaemia in June 2015

A Nigerian woman has been refused permission to enter the UK to donate bone marrow to her sister who has leukaemia, a charity says.

May Brown, 23, from Weymouth in Dorset, said she had been told by her consultant that her sister Martha is a "10 out of 10" tissue match.

The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) said Martha had been refused a visa because her income was too low.

The Home Office said immigration rules were applied to all visa applications.

image copyright ACLT image caption Mrs Brown, who has a two-year-old daughter, is being treated at King's College Hospital in London

Mrs Brown, a patient at King's College Hospital in London, has been told her only chance of survival is an urgent stem cell transplant.

Medical tests identified Martha as a perfect match, the ACLT said, but she was refused a visa because her teacher's salary of £222 per month was too low.

The charity said Mrs Brown had offered to cover all of her sister's costs.

It has set up an online petition, signed by more than 2,000 people, to reverse the visa decision.

The Home Office said it could not comment on individual cases.

A spokesman added: "We are sensitive to cases with compassionate circumstances but all visa applications must be assessed against the immigration rules.

"The onus is on the individual to provide the necessary supporting evidence to prove they meet the requirements."