AN asylum seeker who sewed his mouth shut and is on hunger strike said: "I'm waiting for death."

In later editions of yesterday's Argus, we revealed how Hamid Biak, 28, made three rough stitches over his lips five days ago to protest against the Home Office refusal of his asylum application.

Now homeless, Mr Biak is staying with friends in London Road, Maindee, where he lived for a year.

Speaking with difficulty through his stitches, he said: "I'd rather die than go back to Iran. I'm waiting for death.

"If I die here then it's just me, but in Iran my family would face big problems."

Two years ago Mr Biak, a former hospital worker from a city in southern Iran, changed faith from Islam to Christianity.

He added: "If someone changes their religion to Islam then it's OK but if you are Moslem and then you change then life becomes very difficult.

"I have five sisters and two brothers in Iran, who are all Moslem, and if I returned they would have problems."

He said he came to Britain over a year ago after extensive harassment and persecution, but he has now lost an appeal to remain here indefinitely.

He has pledged not to remove the stitches and, although he drank a little water at first, said he has had no food or drink for two days.

Nurses and case workers from the Welsh Refugee Council are monitoring Mr Biak, and he could be sectioned and placed on an intravenous drip if he deteriorates.

Mr Biak said: "I'm very tired. I came here to get help and to be a Christian.

"I have photographic proof of my Christianity. Why do they not believe me?"

Zahid Noor, of the Welsh Refugee Council, said: "This is an act of desperation and he's in a very distressed state. We've been encouraging him to end his protest.