FORMER county council leader David Bookbinder and his Chinese bride are finally starting married life together – three months after their wedding.

David and wife Wang Yi were forced to live 5,000 miles apart until she was granted a settlement visa – a long and frustrating process for the couple.

But after winning a frantic race against time, Yi was able to join David only hours before his 69th birthday. David, who led Derbyshire County Council for nine years from 1982, said he was overjoyed to be united with his wife.

He said: "I'm feeling that married life starts now. It couldn't be a better day."

David, who has twice overcome cancer and credits Yi with saving his life after he contemplated suicide two years ago, said he could scarcely believe how his life had turned around.

"In 2008, I spent Christmas Day on a plane to Beijing having been told I had months to live," he said.

"I was convinced I could never be happy again, but lo and behold, I've been proved wrong – today, I am happy."

The couple married on November 18 during a low-key ceremony at Derby register office.

Yi, a business associate of David, had been spending time in the UK using a business visa but has had to secure a settlement visa to stay here permanently.

That process has cost them "several thousands of pounds" and led them to compiling a 300-page dossier meeting the application requirements.

Yi then had to come through an interview designed to detect sham marriages.

David, of Burton Road, Derby, said he had to persuade the Chinese authorities to bring forward the interview to allow her to be home in time for his birthday yesterday.

Yi's arrival in Derby on Sunday means she will also be at her husband's side when he undergoes an operation next week to determine whether his cancer has returned.

David also suffers from advanced diabetes and heart problems and Yi said she was relieved to be by his side once more.

She said: "It was difficult being apart from David because I was worried about his health. When I was in China he was here and had to go to hospital on his own.

"I was afraid about how he was coping without having someone there.

"Now I'm looking forward to our married life – I'm glad to be here at last."

For the visa application to succeed, the British Embassy has to be satisfied that a marriage is genuine and not done for financial or any other gain.

But David, who built up business connections with China after he twinned Derbyshire with Shanxi during his spell as council leader, said they had already proved their love was genuine to the embassy.

"I don't understand why we had to go through it all over again (to secure the settlement visa). It's the same embassy we had to satisfy before they allowed us to get married."

He said his wife was booked on a plane to fly back on Sunday, but authorities in China then set Yi's final interview for today, which meant she would have had to pay a £400 premium for another flight, and they would have been apart for his birthday.

But David contacted the embassy and managed to persuade them to bring the interview forward.

He said he was delighted at being able to draw a line under the process and admitted the celebrations began as soon as Yi landed back in the UK.

"As soon as she was off the plane I surprised her by taking her out for a meal. For my birthday we've invited some Chinese friends who helped us with the visa application."

He added: "It's been a frustrating few months but now I am happy.

"The only sad news is I've had to kick both my cats out of bed."