The father who shopped his drug-smuggling daughter to police has said she had forgiven him and they were rebuilding bridges.

Nigel Griffiths told police his daughter was planning to smuggle drugs across Europe but they took no action.

As a result, Sally, now 20, along with her friend Claire Martin, 22, were sentenced to five years in a cockroach-infested cell in Morocco after being caught with 12lb of cannabis resin at Casablanca airport.

But as the freed girls touched down at Heathrow Airport on Sunday to be reunited with their families, Mr Griffiths said his daughter had sent him regular letters and even a Father's Day card which was proof she did not blame him.

He said despite the difficulty of coming to terms with her first taste of freedom, Miss Griffiths had already contacted him at his home in Queenborough Road, Southminster, near Maldon, dispelling any fears she may have blamed him for involving the police.

They plan to meet up later this week after Miss Griffiths has spent time with Bethany, her daughter born while she was in jail.

Bethany spent the first six months of her life living with Miss Griffiths in prison until her sister Anna, 29, of Southend, and her mother Angela brought the child back to Britain.

Mr Griffiths yesterday spoke of the choices he faced when Miss Griffiths, then 17, came to him in February 1996 and told of her plans to "make some easy money".

And he strongly urged all parents who suspect their children of drug running to take his lead and contact the police.

He said: "You know what it is like when parents speak to children, sometimes the lights are on but nobody is at home.

"I tried to talk her out of it but eventually I had few options; either I lock her up in her room, only to be arrested myself, I do absolutely nothing and then how the hell would I have felt about myself? Or do what I did and that is tell the police - it was a cry for help."

He added: "I am only sorry it was not acted on then and she ended up serving a sentence in that jail because she did not deserve that"

He said he had no regrets about what he did and regular letters, including one on Father's Day, were proof Miss Griffiths does not blame him.

He added: "I urge parents to go straight to Customs and Excise. They must do it, if it means it will stop them from ending up in a Moroccan hellhole. Let Sally be a lesson for them."

Miss Griffiths' sister, Anna, said: "We have made a video of Bethany for Sally, we tried to catch every special moment because it is so sad she missed her first steps."

Miss Martin and Miss Griffiths were initially given a five-year sentence which was halved by a Moroccan judge in October 1996.

Joy - Nigel Griffiths

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