A dying disabled woman whose parents served in the Royal Navy is being forced apart from her husband of nearly 20 years because UK immigration laws insist she gets a job.

Sally Piasecki, of Harcurt Avenue in Wallington, made the gut-wrenching decision to leave her children and flee the UK in 1996 because she was in an abusive relationship and her life was in danger.

She would later marry Walter Piasecki, a master carpenter, in Davie, Florida.

When her former partner died she returned to the UK to see her children, Nicola, 42, lives in Wallington and Joann, 40, lives in Banstead. She had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and wanted to spend her remaining years with her family.

The couple sold their Florida home and moved back to Britain, only to be told her husband had been refused permission to stay in the country following a change in immigration rules in 2012 that state returning British citizens must have a job that pays more than £18,600. Her disability has so far proven a barrier to her getting work. Her husband is her carer.

Mrs Piasecka, who was born in Chelsea in 1951 said: "My parents were both in the navy, I'm a true blue Brit.

"But I am disabled, I am losing the use of my left arm with Thoracic outlet syndrome, my left side is wasting away.

"I don't have thyroids after I developed cancer.

"I will be visiting the Royal Marsden for the rest of my life.

"We came here, gave up everything we owned in America, so I could spend my final years with my family.

"My husband looks after me, I can't even get in the shower on my own.

"I've only got a few years left and they're doing this to me."

The pair can not even take hope in the European ruling passed in December 14, 2014, that said EU citizens whose spouses are from non-EU states enjoy freedom of movement rights, as the United States is not covered by this.

In December 2014 they were told he was being denied the right to remain.

She said: "I have lived away from my children for so long and now we are reunited they want to take my husband away.

"I am going to go on hunger strike outside Parliament.

"My life will be over anyway so I might as well starve myself outside Parliament.

"It's not right.

"If they take my husband away I will never see him again."

She has been told that if she wants to stay with her husband she should return to the US, but with her conditions it is unlikely she will find employment, and so, given the lack of a National Health Service in the United States, be ineligible for medical insurance.

Her fight has been taken on by Wallington and Carshalton MP Tom Brake who has appealed to the Home Office to show compassion.

He said: "Every now and again there are immigration cases where there is a need for the Home Office to show flexibility and compassion and this is one of those cases.

"This is a couple who have been married for many years and who want to live with their family in the UK and can not return to America for medical reasons.

"I hope it might still be possible to allow them to remain in the UK.

"I will continue to see what other options might be open in terms of right of appeal."