A devoted mother who brought her son to England in a cross-Channel tug of love has suffered the heartbreak of having him taken away from her.

Lorraine Somers, 42, now faces being without six-year-old Vincent for Christmas after he was taken back by her estranged husband.

Mrs Somers had fled back to England in March to escape her Belgian husband Marc, who has convictions for violence.

He won an interim court order granting him custody of their son, and for the past few weeks she has been fighting to have it overturned.

But matters came to a head this week, first in the High Court in Leeds on Tuesday, and then at a court in Belgium on Thursday.

Mrs Somers was told by the High Court to return to Belgium with her son for the hearing, and was assured by her husband and his solicitor that no attempt would be made to arrest her for kidnapping.

But as soon as she arrived at the court on Thursday, she was seized by the police and taken away to give a statement.

When she emerged from the interview room, Mrs Somers, of Hebburn, South Tyneside, was horrified to discover her husband had taken her son away.

Kathryn Bulmer, a support worker with South Tyneside Women's Aid Refuge, which has been helping Mrs Somers.

She said: "Lorraine left the police in tears and caught the train to stay with her daughter, who still lives in Belgium, while she works out what to do next.

"She says she won't come back home without Vincent, but has been warned by the judge that she is fighting a losing battle.

"The case has been adjourned until January 14, and under Belgian law the partner who has the child is the one who has custody."

Marc Francois Justine Somers has a string of convictions, including wilful assault and battery, aggravated theft and indecent exposure.

His wife claims he has held a shotgun to her head and threatened her in front of their son.