A FAMILY who has been through a tumultuous 12 months is being threatened with deportation. After spending almost everything they owned to launch 'Taste Africana' on Leigh Road, Bryte and Cynthia Chinule were devastated as the building that housed their African restaurant collapsed just weeks after its launch. With the couple prevented from entering their own restaurant, and no set timescale for a return, they made the bold decision to relocate the business to Market Street in Leigh town centre, with Bryte later explaining how he was blown away by the support from the community.
However, as the family has struggled to pay off the debt accumulated from the collapse and relocation, the Chinule family has been dealt another devastating blow as they have been informed they may be deported if they cannot raise enough funds to renew their visas. Bryte and Cynthia were prevented from accessing their restaurant following the building's collapse (Image: Leigh Journal) Originally from Nigeria, Bryte has completed two master's degrees and worked in the NHS while living in the UK, and his wife and three young children have been living in Leigh on his postgraduate visa. With these visas set to end on Friday, August 23, Bryte says that he needs to raise more than £26,000 to pay for his family's visa fees, legal costs, and health insurance charges, a cost far higher than what they can afford.
Inside the Market Street restaurant (Image: Leigh Journal) "It has been a massive financial stress .