NORTH-EAST journalist Yvonne Ridley was finally a free woman last night after the under-fire Taliban released her from captivity.

Her parents Allan and Joyce Ridley prepared to celebrate as Ms Ridley, 43, was pictured on Pakistani television after crossing the border from Afghan-istan.

Seen for the first time in ten days since her capture, Ms Ridley appeared healthy and in good spirits as she spoke of her delight at her release.

Ms Ridley said: "Obviously I am delighted to be free after ten days under arrest.

"I would like to thank all those who have worked for my release including the Foreign Office, the Pakistan government and of course my company, Express Newspapers.

"I am now desperate to get home to see my daughter Daisy."

Ms Ridley added: "I'm fine, it's good to be here. The Taliban treated me with respect and courtesy."

The dramatic and unexpected news came as a fresh wave of US missiles and bombs rained down on the Afghan capital Kabul, where Yvonne had been held before being taken over the Khyber Pass to liberty.

Her older sister, Vivienne Brown, a florist, who was preparing to fly to Pakistan to join diplomats, said: "It is really great, it is fab news, just wonderful.

"This development is such a shock, it happened so quickly and came out of the blue.

"We were obviously very worried indeed when the bombing started on Sunday night.

"But it is just fantastic and we can't wait to have her back.

"I won't organise the party for her - she can do that herself when she gets back."

Following the longed-for news of her release, Ms Ridley's parents, of West Pelton, near Stanley, County Durham, said through a third party that they were too exhausted to comment.

Ms Ridley's younger sister, Gill Jefferson, 45, said the family have been on a rollercoaster ride of emotion since news broke that she had made it into Pakistan.

She said: "We are absolutely exhausted."

Why the Taliban went ahead with their weekend pledge to release the mother-of-one despite a night of bombing from alliance forces remained a mystery last night.

Ms Ridley, a reporter for the Sunday Express and a former journalist with The Northern Echo, was captured near the north-eastern city of Jalalabad on September 28, after travelling to the region with two local guides.

She was held in solitary confinement in a house for the first seven days in captivity before being moved to a prison in Kabul.

Wearing local dress and carrying no papers, it had been feared she would be tried as a spy - an offence that carries the death penalty under the regime's interpretation of Islamic law.

But after intensive diplomacy by consular staff at the British High Commission in Islamabad, and Express Newspapers executives, the Taliban authorities agreed on Saturday to release her.

She moved into Pakistan via the Thorkhum border crossing at the foot of the Khyber Pass, accompanied to the Afghan side of the border by officials, and met there by Pakistani authorities.

She was taken to the British High Commission in Islamabad where she was spending the night.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "I am delighted that Yvonne Ridley has been released from custody in Afghanistan, and can be reunited with her family.

"I know what a great relief this must be for them, especially at such a difficult and uncertain time.

" am sure that Yvonne's many friends and journalist colleagues in the UK and all around the world will welcome this news as much as I do."

Martin Townsend, Sunday Express editor, said: "We are delighted to hear that Yvonne is safe in Pakistan, although we won't be celebrating until she is back safe on British soil."