A FOSTER dad is begging officials to allow an Albanian teenager to stay living with him in Yate.

John Stokes is asking the Home Office to reconsider its decision to refuse his foster son Samet’s appeal to stay in the UK.

Samet - who fled from his native Albania after spending much of his childhood in the control of gangs -now faces deportation.

He was trafficked into the UK at the age of 15 to work as a modern-day slave but managed to escape and was found in the back of a lorry in Bristol three years ago.

Mr Stokes, who has fostered around 60 vulnerable children from Bristol and South Gloucestershire in the last three decades, took him in after Samet spent six months in a children’s home.

Since arriving in Bristol aged 15 with barely any English, Samet has transformed his life and is now fulfilling his dream of becoming a carpenter.

Samet recently celebrated his 18th birthday however shortly afterwards he received a letter from the Home Office telling him that his appeal to stay in the UK had been rejected.

“We appealed the decision and we lost which we were really surprised about,” said Mr Stokes.

“Samet is just a really hard-working boy who wants to become a carpenter, he is trying his best to learn skills so he can contribute to society.

“I think he is a role model for people in the same position, he is just a really nice

Samet lives with John and his two foster brothers, Dave and another Albanian, Ali.

“If he is sent back to Albania then he could end up back on the streets,” added Mr Stokes.

“That is what could happen to him.

“I just want the Home Office to take another look at the case.”

Mr Stokes confirmed that Samet will be with him over Christmas with a decision on their latest appeal expected in January.

A petition to grant Samet asylum in the UK has also reached over 170,000 signatures online, it can be found here.