DEVASTATED dad Steve Bearns has spoken of his heartache after leaving his son with his wife, who remains in China due to visa problems.

Mr Bearns, 56, has been living with son Ryan, three, in Wallingford, but problems over his wife Xia Zu’s visa means she is unable to return from China for the time being.

Repeated attempts to bring forward an appeal hearing have not been successful and Mr Bearns and his wife have agreed that their son should divide his time between them.

Last month Mr Bearns travelled with Ryan to China where he spent a week with Xia Zu - known as Mary in the UK - before leaving Ryan and returning to the UK.

He said: "It was particularly heart-wrenching to have to leave them this time because Ryan is becoming so much more aware of what is going on and knew that his daddy was leaving him with his mother.

"Some of the homes in China don't have so many mod cons so it's quite confusing for Ryan.

"I got to spend six days with Ryan and my wife so that's 12 days we have spent together in the 12 months.

"I really appreciate all the support I have received from people in Wallingford and Wantage MP Ed Vaizey has also been campaigning on our behalf."

When the technology firm operations manager called for the Immigration Service to speed up an appeal hearing regarding the issuing of the visa, the request was turned down and a hearing has now been scheduled for Thursday, March 9.

The father-of-one said he has bought tickets for his wife and son to fly home on April 25.

Staff at Rainbow Pre-School in Wallingford, which Ryan attends, have been backing Mr Bearns’ plea for the visa to be issued swiftly.

Father-of-one Mr Bearns met Xia Zu in Shenzhen, China, in 2006 and they married there in 2010.

The couple decided to live in the UK and moved to Wallingford after their son was born in 2013.

At first Mrs Bearns, 35, was granted a family visit visa that allowed her to stay in the UK for 180 days of any 12-month period.

Last year, Mr Bearns and his wife agreed to apply for a spouse visa as part of the process of being allowed to live in the country.

The application was refused by the Immigration Service, then granted on appeal at a tribunal, but the spouse visa has not yet been issued.

In January last year Mrs Bearns went back to China to help look after her father and has stayed there since because her appeal for the spouse visa, which lasts for two-and-half years, is still being processed.

The Home Office issued a statement earlier saying a judge had decided not to bring forward the appeal hearing and that it would take place on March 9.

Mr Bearns added: "I have to stay hopeful and believe that this time round the decision in our favour will be approved - there are no excuses left."