A FAMILY of asylum seekers who lived for three years in Northfleet have lost their four-year fight against deportation.

A last-ditch attempt to keep the Ay family in Britain failed after a final appeal to the House of Lords was rejected.

Now the Turkish Kurds face an uncertain future amid fears they will be hounded for their beliefs. They also face a traumatic search for Salih Ay, the husband and father already deported, and with whom they have now lost touch.

The Ay family were detained in Scotland for more than a year where they fought extradition, amid claims they would be killed if they returned home.

The family spent their last night on UK soil at the Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre in Gatwick, before being flown to Germany on a private plane yesterday.

Having originally claimed asylum in Germany, Yurdugal Ay, 34, her husband Salih, 38, and their four children Beriwan, 14, Newroz, 13, Dilowan, 12, and eight-year-old Medya came to Gravesham in 1999 where they lived until July 2002.

Mr Ay was deported back to Turkey some time ago and has not been heard from since. His wife claimed asylum, but the entire family were detained in the Dungavel detention centre in Scotland where they fought to stay in Britain.

Gravesham MP, Chris Pond said: "I am disappointed that the Ay family has been deported to Germany. We fought hard to keep them here, including making representations to the Home Secretary. We did everything that we could."

Yurdugal Ay's final appeal to remain in the UK was rejected by the House of Lords last Thursday. A Home Office spokesman said: "This family has recently been the subject of a decision by the House of Lords which upheld the Court of Appeal decision that removing the family to Germany was lawful and proportionate.

"The Home Secretary has a duty to maintain effective immigration control by removing people from the United Kingdom who have no legal basis to stay here.

"The UK government will provide a safe haven to those genuinely fleeing persecution if we are properly the country that is responsible for doing so."