A financial adviser has exposed ’ridiculous’ isolation rules after she says she was threatened with deportation by heavy-handed border police.

Sue Blythe was told she could not isolate at home with her husband despite the wording of her direction notice - but then made a second trip across just so they could be in quarantine together.

Now calling for a change in the legislation, she told the Examiner: ’It’s just so, so wrong. It’s been absolutely dreadful - you couldn’t make it up.

’The most nonsensical and stupid thing about all of this is that we had to do a round trip to Heysham and back so that we could both legally live in our own house.’

The Blythe Financial director had travelled to England last Wednesday to collect a puppy.

She had been sent a direction notice which clearly stated that another household member could voluntarily isolate with her on her return - and she checked this was correct with 111.

But when she got the boat back from Heysham that same day with eight-week-old cocker spaniel Doris, she was in for an unpleasant surprise.

She says she was held for nearly two hours at Isle of Man border control where she was threatened with deportation and the police - and told she could not go home to her husband Alan.

Mrs Blythe said the officers refused to let her talk to her husband or let her hand him the distressed puppy.

’They treated me like I was some kind of criminal,’ she said.

Eventually she was allowed to get a taxi home to Maughold on the understanding that her husband immediately moved out of the house and into the motorhome on their drive.

Then on the Saturday the couple became aware that if they both left the island and came straight back again they could then isolate together.

So she got a taxi to the Sea Terminal with her husband following in the car and they met in the cabin for the sailing over to Heysham.

’We both went to Heysham together with two dogs, and all the paraphernalia we needed. We didn’t even get off the boat, and came back. And as we arrived together we could now both live in our house,’ she said.

Mrs Blythe explained that this was confirmed in writing by the government before they left and said the rules do allow you to leave the island while in self-isolation. The second trip cost just short of £500.

Speaking to the Examiner on her way to the testing centre for her - second - day one test, she said: ’We relied on the information in the direction notice and 111 in good faith and believe we were entitled to do so.

’We are fit and healthy but imagine going through something like that if you are not.

’So many people have contacted me who have been unable to isolate with their loved ones, even after surgery and cancer treatments. I’d like to use my horrific experience to try to help change the current ridiculous rules around isolation.’

Mrs Blythe said she has since been advised by a senior Cabinet Office official that the clause in the legally binding direction notice about voluntary self-isolation of a household member was wrong and they had been sent a version which is not the current one.

A number of MHKs have taken up the couple’s case.

Mrs Blythe says she would like to hear from others who have experienced similar difficulties with the rules on self isolation for returning residents.

She said: ’We lost our two cocker spaniels last year, the second just before Christmas, aged 16, so we have been waiting since then. I wasn’t breaking any rules, island residents are free to leave as long as they isolate when they get back.

’I did absolutely everything to minimise risk and didn’t even leave the port area in Heysham as I paid for a pet courier to collect the puppy from Shrewsbury and bring it to me.

’If the catalogue of errors had not happened my husband would have just travelled with me last Wednesday.

’I have not had the courtesy of an apology from the government for their actions or for the way I was treated at Isle of Man borders.’

Sue Blythe was told she could not isolate at home with her husband despite the wording of her direction notice - but then made a second trip across just so they could be in quarantine together.

The Blythe Financial director had travelled to England last Wednesday to collect a puppy.