A South African artist has been deported while en route to Edinburgh for an exhibition of her work to raise money for a children's charity.

Susan Orpen, a past chairwoman of the Watercolour Society of South Africa, was travelling to the capital with her paintings to try to get money for Refilwe, a charity which serves a disadvantaged community of 50,000 living near Lanseria airport, Johannesburg.

The exhibition takes place at Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh, from tomorrow until Friday.

When Ms Orpen arrived at Heathrow airport, immigration officials apparently took exception to the fact that although she was on holiday, she might benefit by having her framing costs covered by the exhibition organisers.

Fiona de Klee, exhibition organiser, said the problems arose on Tuesday of last week. She said: "Susan didn't have any kind of visa - she had taken advice before leaving South Africa and didn't appear to need one.

"She was asked at immigration if she was on holiday or on business and she said she was mainly on holiday but was taking part in an exhibition.

"They impounded all her luggage, everything. She was treated like a criminal and interrogated. There was nothing we could do and they escorted her to the seven o'clock plane back to South Africa."

Ms de Klee said British Airways subsequently lost her luggage.

"Her catalogues for the pictures were in the luggage so she has had to redo them from memory. This was to be a fantastic event with the artist and the director of the charity, Jaco van Schalwyk, to raise money for Refilwe and it's all gone wrong."

She was determined that the show would go on.