'Abduction' couple extradited

The couple fled to Spain with their children

Detectives have flown to Spain to bring back a Shrewsbury couple accused of abducting their four children from the care of social services.

Detectives from West Mercia Police have flown to Madrid after Spanish authorities said Sharon Richards and her partner Steven Hayward, from Shrewsbury, could be extradited to Britain.

The couple sparked an international police hunt when they snatched the children, aged between three and 12, during a supervised visit with social workers at Wem on 1 February.

Police initially believed Ms Richards, 35, and Mr Hayward, 33, had fled to Galway in southern Ireland because they used to live there and had ties to the country.

However the family were traced to southern Spain in April after two months on the run.

The children were previously brought back to Britain by Shropshire social services.