A mother and her three young children were offered a free one-way ticket to Pakistan after she was refused council housing.

The 36-year-old Crawley-born mum fled her home in Karachi, Pakistan, after splitting up with her husband and had nowhere to stay.

Housing bosses at Crawley Borough Council told the Asian woman they were not able to help her because although she holds a British passport she had not lived in the UK for long enough.

Social services offered her emergency accommodation but later this was withdrawn and a letter sent offering her the flight home.

She went to family friend Bob Jeans, of Northgate, Crawley, who managed to find her private accommodation.

He said: "The woman was brought to my house by another Asian woman I had previously helped.

"I was disgusted with the local authority and told them she would not be going back. I managed to find her a house and I phoned her husband for a deposit.

"She fell out with the family and fled Pakistan. She brought her children with her because she didn't feel she could carry on out there. She couldn't face going back and didn't know what to do.

"She is a British citizen and entitled to all benefits you and I are."

The woman was sent the letter last May by Simon Pickles, head of the council's housing strategic services, informing her the council had no duty to house her.

He wrote: "We are aware you have a family home in Karachi where your husband currently lives and has continued to live throughout your time spent in England.

"It is therefore proposed Crawley Borough Council and social services would jointly fund a flight to Karachi for you and your children to return to this family accommodation."

Mr Jeans felt the council should have given her advice about what to do instead of offering to fly her back.

He said: "She was born in Crawley Hospital and her mother and father lived and worked here for many years.

"Crawley Borough Council does a lot of good overall. They spend more money on racial issues than probably any other council in West Sussex.

"But if they have got no interpreters and send people home, what is the use of spending that money?"

The mother, who does not wish to be identified, is now receiving housing benefit and is on the council housing waiting list. Her children, aged 14, 12 and eight, go to school in Crawley.

A council spokeswoman said: "She came to us and presented herself as homeless. West Sussex County Council social services gave her bed and breakfast.

"We couldn't house her under law because she has a husband in Karachi but because of the three children we offered her flights to get back home under the Children's Act."