Man's charity move to the Gambia

A BUSINESSMAN who fought a bitter immigration battle to get his adopted Gambian son to the UK is to quit England.

Dutch-born Simon Wezel, of Braintree, is moving to the tiny West African nation to set up home and expand charitable work for the poverty-stricken population.

The 62-year-old has taken early retirement from Witham from haulage firm Continental Thomas Boers after lining up a home in Serrakunda.

Mr Wezel successfully took on the might of the Home Office immigration department five years ago to get schoolboy Sisawa Jobarteh into the UK. The youngster has since successfully completed a private education.

He said the move to Africa had not met with any British-style red tape. "You are accepted out there."

Mr Wezel aims to use his new base to further the work of the Kingfisher Trust, the charity he established to help improve conditions in the Gambia.

The latest initiative involves a link-up with Witham firm Essex Optical which is offering eyesight testing equipment to the trust. It has also donated hundreds of old spectacles to help beat eye problems affecting thousands of Gambians