A mother fears her twin daughters will be killed in a Voodoo ritual if she is forced to return to her native Nigeria.

Blessing Osahon, 35, is begging the Home Office not to deport her on the grounds that her daughters will be murdered - simply because they are twins.

The 35-year-old is terrified for the lives of her 18-month-old toddlers, Ashley and Tessy, because the tribe from which she originates believes that twins have supernatural powers and sacrificing them will bring wealth.

Ms Osahon, who has settled in Middlesbrough, is awaiting deportation in Yarlswood Detention Centre, Bedford, with her daughters and her six-year-old son, David.

They were all removed from their home in Walpole Street, Middlesbrough, at 7.30am last Tuesday.

Since she came to the UK in 2003, Miss Osahon has been receiving anonymous phone calls and letters offering her money to take the twins back to Nigeria to be sacrificed.

"They say that twins will fetch them a lot of money," said the mother.

"They kill them and take their private parts to make money. They will use my children to do rituals, to make money, to do Voodoo on.

"They wrote a letter to me. They said they wanted to use the twins for rituals and that they will give me some money.

"I don't want them to use my children to make blood money."

Ms Osahon came to the UK seeking asylum after her parents were murdered because of their political beliefs. But her application to stay has been turned down.

A spokesman for the Home Office said he could not comment on individual cases, but said: "We only return those who the asylum decision making and independent appeals processes have found do not need international protection and who can therefore return safely.