A MOTHER desperate to be reunited with her missing five-year-old daughter is calling on the public’s help.

Leila Saber Mesbah Sabra says her daughter’s case has gone stalemate due to the political unrest in Egypt where A’ishah was taken for a second time while on an access visit with her father in January last year.

Now she has returned to the UK and is calling for the public to pressurise the British Government to take immediate action and get A’ishah back.

Leila said: “I have still not got A’ishah and am still fighting for her. I haven’t seen my baby for over a year now.”

A’ishah, whose grandmother Barbara Maas lives in Bournemouth, was just two when she first went missing in May 2009 while on an access visit with her father Saber Mesbah Sabra in the resort of Hurghada. Leila fought an eight-month custody battle and was finally reunited with A’ishah in January 2010.

Leila secured full custody of her young daughter through the Egyptian courts but was unable to leave the country because a travel ban had been placed on A’ishah by her father.

But despite her court victory, A’ishah was taken for a second time and Leila was told the police could not take action without a missing document.

Speaking to the Echo, Leila said she had now secured an enforcement document which forces the police and Egyptian authorities to take A’ishah back by force, if necessary.

But she added: “It’s just gone stalemate. Even the British Embassy is closed due to the unrest.

“I know she is not in the best hands but I wouldn’t want to put her in an even worse situation.

“I can’t get her out and the only way I am going to get her back is if the government intervenes.” Leila has sought the help of her MP Ivan Lewis and a spokesman from his office said yesterday: “Mr Lewis has helped Leila and her case in the past and continues to do so.”

A petition set up calling on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to take action has just over 4,000 signatures on it.

And a new website has been created to highlight Leila’s plight – it can be found at opfreeaishah.com

All our stories about A'ishah's plight