ONE of Hounslow's estimated 500 Gurkhas has told of his joy after the fearless fighters won their battle to settle in the UK.

An embarrassing defeat for Gordon Brown last Wednesday means all Nepalese veterans from the British Army are set to be allowed to live in Britain with their families.

The situation had looked bleak earlier in the week, after ministers announced strict new rules which campaigners claimed would allow just a 'handful' of Gurkhas to stay.

But a Lib Dem motion demanding the admission of all Gurkha veterans and their families was passed by 267 votes to 241 following a heated Commons debate.

Neither Ann nor Alan Keen, MPs for Brentford & Isleworth and Feltham & Heston respectively, were among the 27 Labour rebels.

Jagat Limbu was among hundreds of Gurkhas campaigning outside Parliament ahead of the debate, alongside Hounslow's VC heroes Tul Bahadur Pun and Lachhiman Gurung.

The 53-year-old father-of-two, who served in the Army for 15 years, said he was delighted by the result and would never forget the support of the British public.

"We were never going to give up on this cause and I'm so happy not only for myself but for all my fellow Gurkhas," he added.

Mr Brown had told MPs ahead of the vote that the Government could not afford the estimated £1.4billion it would cost to admit all Gurkhas.

Under the planned legislation, Mr Limbu would have been sent home along with the majority of Gurkhas living in the UK because he retired before 1997 and had served for fewer than 20 years.

But Labour's defeat makes it highly likely he will be allowed to stay and is also a major boost for VCs Pun and Gurung, who are battling to keep their families in the country.

Mr Pun, of Martindale Road, Hounslow, wants his daughter Megh and eldest son Arjun to stay on and care for him. Mr Gurung, of nearby Roseville Avenue, is appealing to keep his granddaughter Amrita in the country.

Ministers have promised to consider the vote and set out new rules as soon as possible.