AN AUSTRALIAN grandmother who was set to sing with an amateur choir at the Tolpuddle Festival before UK immigration deported her back to Tasmania is warming up her vocal chords in Dorset once again.

Maureen Lum, from Tasmania, was sent packing by officials at Stansted airport after arriving without a performer’s visa.

She was due to sing at Tolpuddle with the Tasmanian Grassroots Community Choir after saving for years for what she though was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip with her husband.

The irony of her deportation back to Tasmania – where the original Tolpuddle Martyr spokesman George Loveless was sentenced to seven years transportation – has not been lost on the good-humoured Aussie.

She told the Daily Echo: “Shipped off, post haste back to Van Dieman’s Land was a bit surreal.

“It was frightening being held in isolation and I’m amazed that someone singing in the back of an amateur choir for one hour, unpaid, required this visa.

“But I’m glad to be back at Toldpuddle again.”

After touching down in Hobart, early last week, Maureen’s supporters quickly raised enough cash to send her back to the UK and choir organisers cleared her travel documents.

Her treatment, which was blasted as “harsh” and “brutal” by South West TUC secretary Nigel Costly, even found its way onto the agenda at the House of Commons.

Six MPs tabled an Early Day Motion expressing their shock at Maureen’s ordeal and called for a review of the “ridiculous rules” governing amateur performers.

Maureen said: “We’ve been planning this trip for two years and working towards it with book sales, quizzes and other events just to get us here.

“This is not something I would want to happen again but it is more of a delight to be here when it is hard won.

“I am just really enjoying every moment. It is turning out to be more than everything we dreamed of and planned for.”

Maureen and the choir are set to perform at the festival on Saturday.