The distraught grandmother of a child snatched by her father today spoke of the fight the family faces to get her home.

Julie Pace's two-year-old grand-daughter Kiah was taken by her father, Zeki Emin, on April 27, after his weekly visit.

After months of waiting with no news, she and daughter Georgina Hughes, 19, were told the pair were in Cyprus but have no idea how Kiah is. Now, Georgina has been told she must spend up to a year in Cyprus fighting for custody of her daughter but only if she can find the money.

Julie, 41, of Shoebury, said: "Interpol has told us he went to Turkey on May 29, and then went on to Cyprus - we had no idea where they were until two weeks ago.

"Since then, we've been trying everything to get Kiah back. "Georgina went to the High Court in London and got her made a ward of court when we thought she was still in the country, so it was the court's responsibility to look for her.

"We had hoped Kiah would just be sent back when she was found but now we've been told northern Cyprus doesn't recognise British law."

Julie said Georgina had been told to fly to Cyprus and apply for a temporary custody order, which could take two or three months. She would then have to live there for six to nine months, before applying for full custody. But Georgina, who is unemployed, would not be eligible for state benefits or legal aid for living expenses or court costs.

Julie said: "We're devastated - if it wasn't for the money, Georgina would have gone out yesterday.

"It's just unbelievable. She's too young to go through this but the solicitors have told us it's the only way of getting Kiah back."

Georgina, who was too upset to talk about her daughter's abduction, was finding it difficult to cope without her daughter, Julie said.

Picture, top: Distraught - Julie Pace, whose grand-daughter has been snatched by her father and taken to Cyprus.

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