THE Turkish husband of a North-East mother-to-be has finally been given permission to come to this country - after twice being refused entry.

Murat Aktas, 27, was given his UK visa yesterday at the British Consulate in Istanbul, after appealing against a previous decision.

He will arrive at Manchester Airport from Izmir on Sunday, where his wife Elisa, from Darlington, will meet him.

She told The Northern Echo last night: "He is finally coming home. The embassy phoned him on Monday and told him to collect his visa.

"But he just couldn't believe it until he got it in his hand today. He rang me on the way home from Istanbul and was so excited."

Mrs Aktas, 24, who has not seen her husband since October, had feared he would not be in England for the birth of their child in June.

"The doctor told me I wasn't up to flying so we have just been coping by talking on the phone, but it has been really hard," she said.

"After all the difficulties we have been through, I'm just so relieved now. None of it matters any more."

The visa means Mr Aktas, who married Elisa, a care assistant, last summer after a year-long courtship, will be able to live and work permanently in this country.

His first visa application was rejected on the grounds that he had no accommodation or job in the UK.

Darlington Borough Council then granted Mrs Aktas a house and she found her husband jobs with Firthmoor Association for Community Enterprise and a local restaurant.

He applied again and was turned down last month after the consulate said it was "not satisfied" the job offers were genuine.

Darlington MP Alan Milburn backed the couple's campaign to get Mr Aktas into the country.

A spokeswoman for Mr Milburn said yesterday: "Alan is relieved that the agony of such a long wait is over for the couple.

"He hopes they can now look forward to a positive future in Darlington with their baby."