Border officials refused a Canadian woman the right to stay in the UK claiming she does n't have a 'genuine relationship ' with her British husband - despite them having been married for 45 years . David Summers , 70 , and his wife Maria , 66 , have been happily married since 1970 , and have a 42-year-old son , Derick , who holds a British passport . The couple lived in Ontario , Canada , until September 2013 , when they moved back to the UK to care for Mr Summers 's sick mother . But border officials have now refused retired optician Mrs Summers 's application for a permanent UK visa because they do n't believe the pensioners have a real 'affectionate relationship ' . Border officials have questioned David and Maria Summers ' relationship and denied her a visa - despite them having been happily married for 45 years . Pictured , right : The couple on their wedding day in 1970 . The decision was appealed and it is currently being considered by the UK Border Agency , who have told the couple that no final ruling will be made until the end of May . The couple , who own a house in Hereford , are meanwhile desperately trying to prove that their marriage is genuine for fear Mrs Summers could be permanently excluded from the UK when her temporary tourist visa expires . Mrs Summers said : 'It 's ridiculous , we are quite willing to give the border people what they want but they are adamant . I do n't know what they want us to prove . 'Anyone who has ever spoken to us can clearly see that we are best friends and have been since the day we met . 'We 've got almost half a century 's worth of birthday cards , 45 years of holiday snaps from all ove the world . 'We 've got pictures of us with our son just after he was born , growing up , right up to his wedding day . If they 'd asked us to send us all of those photos , we could have done . ' Mr Summers , a retired retailer and published author , added : 'Why pick on us ? We 've been married for 45 years and we are completely devoted to one another , what do they want us to do ? 'We could show them pictures , e-mails , texts , everything from our marriage , but they have not asked us for anything . They are doing this based on no evidence at all . ' The couple say they have five decades ' worth of pictures to prove their long-running marriage is genuine - but were not asked to provide any evidence when applying for the visa . Mr Summers said : 'We love each other very much , it 's hurtful for them to suggest our marriage is not real ' Mr Summers added : 'They have n't even given us a chance to prove that our marriage is real . We 've got a marriage certificate and a son , what more do they want ? 'We love each other very much , it 's really hurtful for them to suggest that our marriage is not real . ' Mrs Summers 's application for a permanent UK visa was rejected by British authorities , with a letter citing the reason for rejection stating : 'You have not provided any evidence that your relationship is still subsisting . 'It is reasonable to expect that in a genuine subsisting , supportive and affectionate relationship , there would be evidence of regular contact , signs of companionship , emotional support , affection , and abiding interest in each other 's welfare and well-being throughout the entire duration of your relationship ... .I am therefore not satisfied that your relationship is not genuine . ' The pair met at a dance in Kingston , Ontario in 1966 while Mr Summers was in the country working in retail and soon fell in love . Mr and Mrs Summers lived in Canada after they married in 1970 . They want to move to the house they own in Hereford so they can look after Mr Summers 's mother . They say the decision has been made all the more extraordinary by the fact that they have grown-up son . They married in 1970 and lived in Kingston until 1981 , when they moved to Ottawa . The couple made frequent visits back to the UK and bought their house in Hereford in 1995 for Mr Summers 's elderly mother Doris Murray to live in . They made the trip back in September 2013 and intended to retire in Hereford and care for Doris , who had fallen ill. David said : 'We filled in a load of forms when we had Derick which meant we could come back and forth as much as we wanted , but for us to retire here permanently , we found out Maria needed to have this pemanent visa . 'If Maria 's second visa application fails , we would have no choice but to move back to Canada . 'We would have to sell our home and move my mother into a care home . We have family here but they can not look after her . ' I find it utterly extraordinary , I ca n't really contemplate life without my wife . ' The Home Office , which runs the UK Border Agency , has yet to comment on the case . Mrs Summers now has to wait until May for her appeal to be finalised , but she fears she and her husband may have to move back to Canada if she is not allowed to stay .
Couple married in 1970 after British man went to work in Canada . They have since lived in Ontario , but now want to return to the UK . But despite owning house in Britain , border force has refused wife visa . Comment: