August 2 - British actress Joanna Lumley (pictured), best known her for her role in the New Avengers, has invited Nepal's Olympic team to stay in her house in Kent before the 2012 London Games.

The 63-year-old has become a celebrity in Nepal after leading a campaign for the Gurkha's to be allowed to settle in Britain after they completed their active service.

She yesterday completed a 10-day visit to the country where she was hailed as a "Goddess of Nepal".

Lumley's father was Major James Rutherford Lumley, who served in the 6th Gurkha Rifles, which inspired her campaign.

Lumley, who also starred as Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous, has now extended an invitation for Nepal's athletes to stay with her in her five-storey house in Kent.

She said: "It was one of many lovely surprises during our trip and one I hope they will take up.

"It would be wonderful to have the Nepalese Olympic team stay with us in 2012.

"They are such lovely people.

"I would even be prepared to let some of them stay with me."

Nepal sent eight athletes to the Olympics in Beijing last year, competing in athletics, judo, shooting, swimming, taekwondo and weightlifting.

The country, which is the world's youngest republic and contains eight of the world's 10 highest mountains, including the highest, Mount Everest, made its debut in the Olympics at Tokyo in 1964 but have never won a medal, although Bidhan Lama finished third in the taekwondo in Seoul in 1988 when it was a demonstration sport.

Peter Carroll, who campaigned with Lumley for the Gurkha's and who accompanied her on the trip, extended an offer from Kent County Council for Nepal to base themselves in the county during the build-up to London 2012.

He said: "Kent County Council gave us a good presentational DVD and a document outlining the attractions of Kent as a base for an Olympics team.

"There was also a letter of invitation to Nepal.

"We handed it over to the Prime Minister [Madhav Kumar Nepal] and he was delighted to receive it.

"It was too soon for him to make an immediate response but I would think it very hopeful that the Nepal team will come to Kent."

A spokesman for Kent County Council said: "We sent out a letter of invitation to Nepal with Joanna Lumley and Peter Carroll.

"The letter invites them to use Kent’s training camps for their Olympics and Paralympics teams for the 2012 Games.

"It’s up to them to decide whether to take up our offer and what sort of facilities they might need.

"That will dictate where best it is for them to stay and to train."

The Gurkha's have served Britain for more than 200 years with over 50,000 dying in service, and 13 have been awarded the Victoria Cross.