The son of a cancer survivor who came to Britain as part of the Windrush generation has urged Home Office officials to get to know the human beings behind immigration cases, as his deportation was temporarily halted.

Mozi Haynes, 35, who lives in Hedgerley, was due to leave the country voluntarily on Wednesday to avoid the "shame" of deportation after two failed applications to stay in the UK.

His mother, Ruth Williams, who arrived in 1959 as part of the Windrush generation and has a British passport, raised her son's case with Tottenham MP David Lammy in a last-ditch attempt to be heard.

Ms Williams is in her 70s and in remission from cancer. For the last two years she has relied on her son to get her to hospital appointments and look after her, she said.

The pair had a call on Tuesday afternoon telling them Mr Haynes' application would be reviewed and he would not have to leave the following day.

Speaking from the home he and his mother share, he said: "I don't want to sound ungrateful or horrible, but every case there's a human being behind it, and it's not just a bunch of words on the paper, this case it involves my cancer (suffering) mum and me here.

"Just have a bit of compassion and take a little time to read and understand the cases, and give us a bit more time as a human. Just put yourself in our shoes to say how would you feel.

"Be a bit more compassionate, and have a bit of mercy sometimes."

At talks in No 10, the Prime Minister said she was "genuinely sorry" for the anxiety that had been caused and that she wanted to dispel the idea that the Government was seeking to clamp down on citizens from the Caribbean.

She said the Government accepted those who arrived from the Caribbean before 1973 - when new rules came in - and who had been living in the UK without significant time away were entitled to remain, as were the "vast majority" who arrived subsequently.

"I want to dispel any impression that my Government is in some sense clamping down on Commonwealth citizens, particularly those from the Caribbean," she said.

"I take this issue very seriously. The Home Secretary apologised in the House of Commons yesterday for any anxiety caused.

"And I want to apologise to you today. Because we are genuinely sorry for any anxiety that has been caused.

"I don't want anybody to be in any doubt about their right to remain here in the United Kingdom."