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TV star’s backing for asylum seeker

8/ 3/2006

PHOENIX Nights star and radio DJ Justin Moorhouse has urged Tameside residents to take a few minutes of their time to help save a refugee's life.

The Denton comedian, who played Kenny in the hit Peter Kaye series, has lent his support to the Advertiser campaign to stop the deportation of an asylum seeker currently living in Ashton.

Innocent Nkung escaped to England after being tortured and raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo after he was arrested for campaigning for elections. The 35-year-old philosophy graduate and teacher has lived in Tameside since last year and has received support from MP David Heyes, new mayor Sean Parker Perry and Respect MP and Big Brother celebrity George Galloway.

This week the Advertiser urges residents of Tameside to send their letters of support for his campaign to the Immigration Minister Tony McNulty.

More than 200,000 people live in the borough and if everybody signed up it could mean the difference between life and death for a man who has worked voluntarily in our community for months now.

Key 103 DJ Justin Moorhouse told the Advertiser why it was so important to show support for Innocent.

"I'm happy to support Innocent and sure that most people in Tameside would get behind him if they heard his story.

"We take for granted our freedom and we should help people like Innocent whose life would be over if he had to go home," he said.