A Bermudian mother who had her child abducted by his American father is praising the efforts of American authorities who secured his return.

Shelly Brown feared she faced months of costly legal manoeuvres after being told her six-year-old would not be returning from a three-week Christmas stay.

But after contacting the US Consul in Bermuda, which put her in touch with the State Department and then the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children, her child was back with her in a week.

She said: "Within ten minutes I was talking to someone about an intervention plan.

"Effectively it was life saver, I was ready to get a lawyer and spent every dime I could every make."

She had feared the worst as her ex-husband's parents are wealthy and influential people."I thought I was in for the battle of my life."

Mrs. Brown, who has since remarried, moved back to Bermuda six months ago and but let her son go to her father for Christmas.

He was supposed to back at Francis Patton school on January 5 but the day before she received a call which is every parent's nightmare when her ex-husband said their son wasn't coming back. Instead the child ended up starting at a school in Medicine Head, Maryland.

Previous relations had been amicable with both parents sharing time with the child without formal legal arrangements. Pleading with the father did not lead to her son's return so Mrs. Brown began contacting the courts and numerous lawyers in Bermuda but found practical advice thin on the ground.

"Between nine o'clock and five o'clock I must have called every lawyer in Bermuda.

"I called lawyers in the States, the Women's Resource Centre, the Magistrates' Court, the Supreme Court."

She even considered kidnapping her son.

"It was a mother's instinct, he has been with me for six years and there is no reason he should not be with me.

"He was doing extremely well at school."

She was told US police would not act without legal custody documents.

"Trying to get legal custody would take months and months."

After two days on the phone a colleague suggested calling the US Consul who put her in touch with the US State Department who suggested the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

That organisation, based in Arlington, Virginia, helps to enforce the Hague Convention ? which became Ms Brown's saviour.

The international agreement holds that a child's habitual residence is paramount in deciding who should have a child.

"They don't care if you are a good or bad parent, that is not their issue. They return the child as quickly as possible to allow that country to sort it out."

Mrs. Brown flew out to the States, met the father at the NCMEC headquarter the day after and flew back with him three days later after staff explained the situation, free of charge.

She said the situation had affected her son although he's doing all right now. "He was very, very confused after starting at another school."

She is hoping her story will be noticed by other parents in a similar situation and is disappointed that courts here did not appear interested in knowing about this route and passing the information on to others.