THE Kachepa family have failed in their bid to stay in Weymouth.

Heartbroken mother Verah and her four children will be taken away by immigration officers tomorrow after Immigration Minister Tony McNulty kept the deportation order in place.

He yesterday telephoned South Dorset MP Jim Knight to say that new evidence had not persuaded him to use his discretionary powers to stop them being sent back to Malawi.

Wiping away tears, Verah Kachepa said today: "Every time we have had a glimmer of hope, it has been crushed. My little one has been crying since 6am.

"I feel like I'm being pushed from light to darkness and feel let down by the whole system - people have worked so hard for us to stay but the Government did not listen.

"We have not run away and I thought we'd be given credit for that. But Dorset has accepted us and I have learned so much from living in Weymouth.

"The love and support over the past five years has been amazing.

"My children and I will always remember this friendship. Whatever happens in our lives, Weymouth will always be in our hearts."

Distraught supporters condemned the decision as 'disappointing' and 'illegal'.

Campaigners still cling to a ray of hope that the legal team can provide a last-minute stay of execution by seeking a judicial review of the case at the High Court.

Jim Knight, who continued working on behalf of the family even though he is on holiday, said: "I'm so disappointed the Home Office has decided not to grant discretionary leave for the Kachepas to stay.

"They have been through an awful lot and are clearly upset.

"The minister called me to say the solicitors' submissions do not change anything and they will still be deported. Now it's in the hands of the solicitors."

Family spokesman Ralph Johnson urged residents to turn up in a mass rally when Verah and Natasha, 20, Alex, 17, Anthony, 16, and Upili, 11, are collected from their Greenhill home at 12.45pm tomorrow.

He said: "Verah is totally distraught and so are her children. I think they set their hearts on staying this time, they really believed it would happen.

"Escorting them out of Weymouth is treating them like common criminals who might go on the run.

"They did not abscond last time, I don't know why they need to be escorted to the airport.

"More than 1,000 people have written to the minister and immigration authorities, but that has come to nothing."

Mr Johnson added: "Trying to deport them tomorrow is breaking the law.

"The solicitors require three working days to file an appeal for a judicial review so the earliest they can be taken away is Saturday.

"Human rights activist Louise Christian is talking with barristers to file an application to the High Court, so we are still fighting.

"It shows ignorance beyond belief that Mr McNulty found nothing in the evidence to change his mind, even though serious physical and psychological danger lies ahead if the Kachepas go back to Malawi."