A GIFTED Bury family facing deportation next week staged a last-ditch plea on Thursday for the Government to let them stay.

The Aftab family must report to immigration staff at Manchester Airport on Monday, or face forcible removal from the country.

Around 20 friends and relatives of Tabassum Aftab and her four daughters rallied in Manchester to urge visiting Home Office minister Des Browne to intervene.

Campaigners, who handed out leaflets and gathered petitions, included staff from Holy Cross College where eldest girl Rabia last month gained six A-grade A-levels.

The family arrived from Pakistan four years ago claiming that they had been been subjected to death threats and that they feared for their lives. In early 2001, there was tragedy when Tabassum's six-year-old son Shoaib was killed in a road accident in Killon Street, Parkhills.

The asylum case was turned down in November last year, but no appeal was made after they were incorrectly advised about the funding protocol by solicitors.

Although a barrister indicated the case had a 60 per cent chance of success -- well above the threshold for legal aid -- the family were refused funding because they had not first made their appeal to the Home Office. By the time they realised, a 28-day post-decision appeal deadline had expired.

Rabia said: "What we are asking for is the right to appeal that we should have been given at the time.

"We have settled so well and are asking for this on a number of humanitarian grounds, including my brother's death and my mother's need to be close to where he is buried."

Around 400 signatures were gathered outside the Friends Meeting House on Mount Street, Manchester, where Mr Browne was addressing a conference on refugee integration.

Rabia said: "We have had such a lot of support from people wanting to help us with the petitions and some very positive comments from members of the public."

All four girls have excelled at school and college, with Rabia's sister Zahrah clinching outstanding grades in her GCSEs.

Rabia's former biology tutor at Holy Cross, Janet Knights, said: "Rabia has so much to contribute to this country and, as far as I can see, so has the entire family.

College chaplain Mike Clark said: "I think they need to be given their legal right to a proper appeal. They have been denied justice and should be given leave to stay here until they have had their case heard."

After making their request, family representatives did briefly meet with the minister, who said he would look at the case.