A man who fled persecution in Afghanistan faces deportation days after his baby died and while his wife lies seriously ill in hospital.

Rafe Hannan and his British wife Rachel lost their second baby Romish soon after he was born on December 6.

Days later, the Home Office added to the couple's anguish by telling Mr Hannan his appeal for asylum had been turned down.

Mr Hannan, 30, of Ditchling Drive, Hastings, must return to his homeland and leave behind his sick, grieving wife and their first child, 15-month-old Saheed.

Mrs Hannan was suffering abdominal pains when she was admitted to hospital in childbirth and Romish had to be delivered by emergency Caesarean, but medics could not save the baby.

Mrs Hannan suffered a blood clot two days later. She is slowly recovering but is in a serious condition at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings. She was in intensive care when her family attended a funeral for Romish.

Mr Hannan said: "How could this Government let me stay so long, marry and start a family and then say I have to leave them? How can I do that?"

Mr Hannan says he was forced to flee Afghanistan in 1999 after the Taliban took control from the Communist government and killed his father, a police officer.

He was separated from his family and has not been able to contact them since. He does not know if they are alive.

He has been working legally in factories, after gaining a permit to work, around Hastings since arriving in the UK in January 2000.

His case was rejected by immigration officials but he was given permission to marry his partner, an administrative assistant, during a protracted period of repeated appeals.

However, a letter from the Home Office arrived four days after the death of his child telling him his appeal had been rejected.

He was given ten days to appeal from the date of the letter, November 24. However, Mr Hannan said the letter did not arrive until December 10, so he missed the deadline.

Mrs Hannan, 25, fears her husband could be taken away any day.

She fears she will be left to grieve alone with the added heartbreak of missing her husband and fearing for his safety.

Mrs Hannan's mother Sharon Kean, 46, was told the stress Rachel had been through most likely contributed to the loss of her child.

In August, Mr Hannan was locked up and taken to Dover after he went for his weekly sign-in at Hastings Police Station.

Mrs Kean said: "Rachel wasn't allowed to see him or take his son to say goodbye.

"That was when her health problems started."

Mr Hannan was released after ten days. Hastings MP Michael Foster became involved and at the end of November, with the couple's second baby due, he was told a letter was on its way. Nothing arrived until the bad news was delivered on December 10.

Mrs Kean said: "Rachel is in a dreadful state. She would not be able to go with Rafe because of ongoing medical treatment she can't get in Afghanistan.

"Rafe has already lost one son. To have his other baby and his wife taken away would be unbearable. We are all the family he has."

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Government will grant asylum to those with a well-founded fear of persecution.

"People are removed only after all appeals have been heard and any other compassionate circumstances have been considered."