A MAN who flew across the world to marry a woman he met on the internet is celebrating after learning his bride was expecting their first child.

Stewart Hindle married cyber sweetheart Tina Evans in Hawaii earlier this year after a whirlwind romance on the web.

But the couple were forced to live thousands of miles apart after the marriage because immigration regulations stopped Tina coming back to the country with her new husband.

The pair were reunited after Tina's application for a visa was accepted and she headed to her new home in Padiham.

And now they are expecting their first baby due in December - just in time for Tina's first Christmas in the UK.

Tina, who already has a three-year-old son, Nicholas, from a previous relationship, said: "We are both very happy at the news as this will be our first child together.

"We are both very excited. It is due on December 12 so we will have a Christmas baby but we're not sure about names yet. I think we will just decide when we see him or her."

Tina, 35, added: "I'm really enjoying my new life over here and I've got absolutely no regrets, it's fantastic."

Stewart, 42, of Palmerston Street, an engineer who works at Chadfort Engineering, Blackburn, and also runs a computer company from his home met Tina while browsing on a chat forum last year.

Tina, a secretary from the Tampa Bay area of Florida, had to wait in Hawaii until Home Office officials processed her application for the right to live in the UK.

She was banned from visiting the UK because of the potential for abusing the system.