The parents of an adopted Chinese girl have won a 10-year battle to grant her the legal right to live in Hong Kong

Fourteen-year-old Tam Nga-yin, and her family won their fight after appeals to immigration authorities not to deport her on humanitarian grounds.

Their worst nightmare came when the top court ruled in July that mainland Chinese adopted by Hong Kong parents should not be granted the right of abode.

Tam's parents appealed to immigration authorities to let her stay with the only family she has ever known, and gathered more than 1,000 signatures on a petition from friends at Tam's school.

Local and Chinese authorities finally notified Tam that she could get a one-way permit - a travel document that allows her to live in Hong Kong.

She said: "I'm so happy. The whole incident has dragged on for so long, and I'm really glad that it has such a perfect ending.

"We don't plan to have a special celebration as I'll be going to school tomorrow and my mom will be working," said Tam, who will be able to get a Hong Kong identity card by the end of the month.

Tam's mother, Man Yuet-kwai, was overjoyed their worries for so many years were now over, and thanked the Hong Kong and Beijing governments for helping her.