A PREACHER and charity worker has vowed to 'unleash a storm' against the government over not being able to marry his fiancée in the UK.

Rev Ross Rennie, 63, of Oswestry has been denied permission to marry his Cambodian partner, Huot Chanthoeun, 44, in the UK.

The reverend, who is a Pentecostal preacher and a member of UKIP, said that he would unleash a 'storm' of protest in the national media against prime minister Theresa May and home secretary Sajid Javid when he returns from a trip to Cambodia in January.

"I'm going to unleash a storm (when I come back), a big one, because I'm not taking this lying down. All I'm asking for basically is a holiday visa, and the Home Office are blocking me," he said.

Cambodian law prevents foreign men aged over 50 from marrying Cambodian women.

The Home Office told Ms Chanthoeun on May 10 that her visa application had been rejected due to insufficient evidence that she fulfilled requirements and that there is no right to appeal.

The reverend, who also supplies agricultural products, said: "I'm a British soldier, I fought for my country I have no rights in my country to marry who I want to marry.

"I'm not asking the government to support my wife. I don't want any of their money.

"I've fulfilled every one of their rules, but because she doesn't follow their guidelines they won't even let her out of the country."

Rev Rennie founded Cambo­dian Comm­unities out of Crisis (CCC) in 1994 after visiting the country for the first time.

CCC's projects include taking children off refuse tips and out of sex trafficking, as well as providing an education for youngsters in the country.

It also aims to fund a $7 million educational facility, the Timothy College and Business Institute.

Rev Rennie said that he would sign an affidavit saying that Ms Chanthoeun – who is a field director for the charity – would come to the UK to get married and then return to her home country.

He intends to spend six months in Cambodia and the rest of the year in England.

While he disagreed with the Home Office's stance, Rev Rennie said that he agreed with the reasoning for the marriage ban, which was to prevent older men from abroad take advantage of young Cambodian women.

Rev Rennie also told how North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson's office for taking six months to send him a Home Office letter with information that the reverend said he already knew and did not move the matter on.

He described the Home Office letter as a 'faceless bureaucrat' telling them that the application was rejected and that they had no recourse.

The letter does say, however, that Ms Chanthoeun could consider whether she qualifies for a visa under different category.

A Home Office spokesman said: "All visa applications are considered in line with the immigration rules and on the basis of the evidence provided."