The wife of a Tunisian man is worried she may have to chose between the love for her husband and her home.

Peggy Hemrit, 55, from Wooburn Green, Bucks, married 30-year-old Salem in Sousse, Tunisia, on April 28 this year, but she fears he will be unable to gain a visa to enter the country and live with her in the area she adores.

The couple will be together when she visits him on September 5, but at the end of that week they will again be forced to go their separate ways.

The couple met in May last year while she was on holiday during which their relationship blossomed into one of love.

They have been able to keep in regular contact through the internet, letters and phone calls, but due to financial reasons and work commitments, Mrs Hemrit has only been able to visit him five times in the past 12 months.

Mrs Hemrit is a recruitment advisor and moved to her current home in Wycombe Lane two years ago after living in Australia for 40 years. She has two children Adam, 32 and Samantha, 26, who still live there.

She said: "I love living in Wooburn Green and I don't want to have to move but I am worried that if my husband's application is rejected then I may have to move out of the area.

"The problem is how do you prove that you are in a valid marriage with someone if you cannot be together. I am very worried that no matter what I can show them, whether it be photos, phone bills, letters or passport stamps, it will all come down to the age difference."

Her fears were made worse when she came across a newspaper article in July when someone, whom she says is in an identical situation, had their partner's visa turned down.

One of the major issues for Mrs Hemrit is that the application for a visa has gone up in price since April and the charge is non-refundable.

Mrs Hemrit is adamant that if her husband was to come to the country he would not be surviving off benefits and they could support themselves.

She said: "My husband is a simple and unworldly man who is willing to work hard. He is very distressed in his home country and just wants to come to England so that we can finally be together."

A spokesman for the Home Office said: "It is down to the couple to satisfy the immigration officer and obviously there are certain criteria they must follow such as how many times the couple have met and where they intend to live."