JORDANIAN government officials have spoken to the father at the centre of an international love tug battle -- but there was still no sign today of him sending his daughters home.

Now police in Darwen are liaising with Interpol to make sure Noor Al-Momani, six, and sister Salam, 10, are spoken to.

The girls' mother, Josephine Bromley, of Lower Darwen, went to court on Thursday to have them made wards of court -- with Judge David Gee revealing he would be sending the case to the High Court if he did not receive a response from the Jordanian authorities within a week.

It is nearly two weeks since the Miss Bromley discovered her former husband, Jehad Al-Momani, 37, of Station Road, Great Harwood, had taken the girls to his home country while he was supposed to be looking after them on a week's access visit.

Miss Bromley revealed yesterday that just hours after the court case, Mr Al-Momani rang her to say she would never see her daughters, pupils at Lower Darwen Primary School, again.

Det Sgt Ian Critchley, of Darwen CID, said: "We are still waiting to hear from the Jordanian Police. We have spoken to the Jordanian Embassy and our understanding is that they have spoken to Jehad, the father. We are now liaising with Interpol to make sure the Jordanian police speak to the girls to make sure they are OK." Today, Miss Bromley's fiance, Paul Tomlinson said: "Basically, the father is controlling everything." Noor will celebrate her seventh birthday tomorrowon Sunday.

Mr Tomlinson added: "She is normally such a bubbly person, but on the phone you can tell there is something wrong.

"We just have to play along with what he wants just to make sure we can keep in contact with the girls."

Darwen councillor Karimeh Foster, a Jordanian by birth, has also been speaking to the authorities in Jordanthe Middle East country.

At Thursday's court case, Judge Gee criticised the Legal Services Commission for not granting legal aid to Miss Bromley to cover her costs.

A spokesman for the Legal Services Commission said: "We have reviewed this case in the light of the judge's comments.

"However, the applicants' means are such that they are not eligible for Legal Aid and we have informed them of this.

"Legal Aid is a means-tested benefit and we have to refuse a certificate if a person is assessed as having income or capital above the financial limits. There is no discretion to disregard them no matter how distressing the circumstances of a particular case."