Freed aid worker arrives home

Sally Becker tells News 24 it was the worst weeks of her life

The charity worker, Sally Becker, has returned to Britain after being released from jail in the Serbian province of Kosovo.

Ms Becker was sentenced to 30 days in prison for entering the region without a visa.

Although she has now been banned from returning to Kosovo for three years, she has promised to carry on helping refugees fleeing from the fighting there.

The 37-year-old, talking to BBC News 24 after landing at Stanstead airport, said she was relieved to be back home.

"It's been the worst few weeks of my life. I've seen some places and experienced some things but never anything like this."

Why go back?

Ms Becker said she would definitel like to return to Kosovo.

Asked why, she said: "Because I've met them. I've met the children, I've met the people, I've met the women and the mums and the old people and they're superb people.

"There are lovely Serbs and there are lovely Albanians - but unfortunatley there are extremists and it was the extremist who got hold of me."

She said there were now two things for her to do: "I have to get home and start fund raising and see my dogs."

Angel of Mostar

Ms Becker, known as the Angel of Mostar, arrived at Stansted Airport near London on Friday evening.

She had spent nearly a week on hunger strike after being imprisoned by Serbian authorities for illegally crossing the republic's border and for links with the outlawed Kosovo Liberation Army.

Ms Becker was also accused of illegally smuggling refugees across the Albanian border.

She refused food and liquids for five days in protest against the conflict in Kosovo, which has been ravaged by fighting between Serbian troops and ethnic Albanians.

Doctors put her on an intravenous glucose drip after she collapsed unconscious on Monday in her prison cell.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the Ms Becker had been pardoned, released and deported to neighbouring Macedonia, where she caught her flight for Britain.

The Serbian authorities said in a statement: "The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia are showing responsibility and goodwill to pardon Miss Becker from further implementation of her jail sentence."

Ms Becker made her reputation in 1993 when she rescued 25 wounded children from the Muslim sector of the southern Bosnian town of Mostar while it was under Croat attack.

Mike Mendoza, a spokesman for Ms Becker, said: "I had a call from the Foreign Office to say she was free.

"She was taken from her cell and literally dumped in Macedonia."

Mr Mendoza told BBC News 24: "We are absolutely shocked when we suddenly heard she had been freed."

Ms Becker's case had been due to come up for appeal on Monday.

Mr Mendoza said the aid worker was mentally low and had been very sick.

Ms Becker had said her hunger strike was on behalf of the family she was helping and the other civilians caught up in the Kosovan conflict.

Up until earlier this week Ms Becker had refused any Serbian medical treatment including a drip leading to fears that she could become seriously ill through dehydration.