THE daughter of a former mayor of Tenbury Wells has flown out to be reunited with her Australian boyfriend after he was refused entry into the country.

Milly Mound said she was shocked when immigration officials at Heathrow refused entry to 36-year-old Damien Hirsch.

"They basically called us liars," she said. "He was going to stay for four months and he had a return ticket. We had also arranged for my dog Haze to fly out there on the same plane. Hardly the actions of someone wanting to stay in this country."

Miss Mound, of St Michaels, Tenbury Wells, met Mr Hirsch when she spent a year in Australia in 2003/2004 and they travelled together for eight months. They kept in touch as friends and by July 2007 they realised they were in love and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together in Australia.

The couple decided that Mr Hirsch would visit the UK to meet Miss Mound's parents, Peter Mound, a former mayor of Tenbury Wells, and Helen.

"My father has had a few heart attacks and is not fit enough to make the journey all the way over there and most of my family could not afford the travelling costs to Australia to see me married" said the 30-year-old.

"We were going to talk things over and apply for a marriage licence to get married here." However, when Mr Hirsch arrived in London on Thursday, January 17 officials questioned him and he was sent back to Australia.

Miss Mound said she believed it was because Mr Hirsch chooses to live and work in the Australian bush. "He is like a white Aborigine and I was never happier then when I was living and travelling with him," she said. Miss Mound intends to return to Australia again in May after organising a wedding and visa.

MP Bill Wiggin, who spoke to immigration on the family's behalf, said the reason for refusal was because Mr Hirsch said he would be getting married and had the wrong visa. He added: "In this case his intentions were innocent but in so many cases people seem to get into the country quite easily."

A Border and Immigration Agency spokesman said immigration officers needed to be satisfied that those entering the country on a temporary visa would return to their country.