Support for a man with Down’s syndrome threatened with deportation kept growing yesterday as a petition demanding that he be allowed to stay in Britain notched up 35,000 signatures in under 48 hours.

Wadih Chourey — who has lived in Twickenham since 1997 — was told he would have to return to Lebanon after his parents died.

Mr Chourey was brought to live in Britain after being targeted by violent Beirut gangs due to his disability.