A TEACHER who escaped the battle-scarred streets of Bethlehem flew back to her North-East home last night for an emotional reunion with her relieved family.

Claire Theret, who witnessed the bloody fighting for the holy town after Israeli troops fought running battles with Palestinian gunmen, touched down at Newcastle Airport last night.

Her husband Ieuan Einion threw his arms around his wife and her daughter Lea, 20, who flew in from Paris for her arrival.

But the 44-year-old languages teacher admitted she had mixed emotions about her return.

She said: "I feel relieved and sad at the same time because, while it has been a terrifying experience, it has only been two weeks of my life.

"My friends are still there and have no way of getting out - it has been their life for the past 54 years."

Ms Theret, who teaches at St Cuthbert's RC High School, in Newcastle, initially went to the region on a ten-day trip as an international observer with the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign.

She became trapped along with 4,000 refugees inside the Aida refugee camp on the outskirts of Bethlehem and refused to leave as Israeli troops held an armed stand-off with Palestinian fighters inside the Church of the Nativity.

Yesterday, the dangers of her mission were brought home when her fellow observer, Adam Conway, of Morpeth, Northumberland, was left with cuts and grazes when he and a colleague were beaten by soldiers as they tried to protect a group of Palestinians, in Nablus, on the West Bank.

Mr Einion, who said he had waited "sick with worry" at their Wallsend home, said: "To say that I am relieved would be an understatement.

"I had real fears for her safety and sometimes may have not been very helpful to her."

He added: "I really respect what she did. If she said she wanted to go again, I would go through all sorts of hell again. I think what she has done is very important."

During the past fortnight, Ms Theret helped distribute UN food in the refugee camp and at one stage she defied an Israeli curfew to deliver life-saving medical supplies.

* Ms Theret and a Palestinian student from Nablus will address a meeting at the Louisa Centre, in Stanley, County Durham, at 7.30pm tonight.