A mother wept with joy as she described the moment she was reunited with her abducted daughter.

Marcela Alvarez spent more than four years not knowing her daughter's whereabouts - until the arrest of her ex-husband.

Mexican-born Edgardo Alvarez, 65, is in custody awaiting a jail sentence after pleading guilty to abducting his daughter Esmeralda in July 1999.

The former Spanish lecturer at Crawley College vanished with the girl, now aged 11, and fled to Europe.

He then flew to the USA using a false passport.

Mrs Alvarez only discovered her daughter was safe when her ex-husband was arrested in December and brought back to Britain.

Yesterday Mrs Alvarez spoke to The Argus about her ordeal and her relief at her daughter's return.

Her ex-husband, who lived in Bewbush, near Crawley, before he fled the country, has been remanded in custody.