A SURROGATE mother, anguished at handing her baby girl to her new parents, said last night she wanted the child back.

Six days after parting with her baby, Bronwen Williamson, 40, said she and her husband had decided they could not live without her.

Last night, the couple, of Orkney Drive, Hollycarside, Sunderland, said they plan to consult a solicitor to discuss pulling out of the agreement.

She was reported as saying: "I have not stopped crying since we handed her over. It has been a terrible time.

"I didn't realise I would feel like this.

"I just hope that we are in court by the end of the week to get it all sorted out."

Mrs Williamson, a mother-of-three, handed the newborn girl to Phil and Jennifer Bickerstaff in an emotional encounter recorded by a national newspaper.

The baby was called Alicia by her new parents. But Mrs Williamson registered her as Hope.

The surrogacy was arranged by the controversial charity Childnessness Overcome Through Surrogacy (Cots).

Mrs Williamson, who has three sons, contacted the charity two years ago, because she "wanted to bring joy to a childless couple".

When The Northern Echo visited the family home, no one answered the door, and neighbours were reluctant to discuss the matter.

One said: "She's such a lovely person. I knew this would happen."

A spokesman for Cots said last night: "We are unable to comment on specific individual cases."

A police spokesman said: "This is a civil matter. If there is any evidence of criminal wrongdoing we will investigate."