A JUDGE has ordered the father at the centre of an international love-tug battle to return his two young girls to their distraught mother.

But just hours after the comments, Josephine Bromley said ex-husband Jehad Al-Momani told her: "You will never see your daughters again."

Family judge David Gee made Noor Al-Momani, six and sister Salam, 10, wards of court and said if he receives no response from the Jordanian authorities within a week he will send the case to the High Court.

He also attacked the Legal Services Commission for not granting legal aid to Miss Bromley to fight her case.

It is now almost two weeks since the girls were taken to the Middle East. Their father, 37, of Station Road, Great Harwood, was only supposed to have them for an access visit.

Their mother Josephine, 33 and fiance, Paul Tomlinson, 40, of Lower Darwen, had requested yesterday's court hearing and appealed for the judge to make the wardship order.

Miss Bromley said her ex husband has now told her she will never see her daughters again in a telephone call just after the court hearing.

She said Mr Al-Momani also boasted there was nothing she or her fiance could do to get the children back through the courts.

Miss Bromley said she was told: "There is no way I am ever coming back to Britain and there is nothing you can do about it. You won't be seeing them again." Judge Gee, who is the designated family judge for the area, took the unusual step of not imposing reporting restrictions on the case and made a public statement following the hearing "in the hope it may assist in achieving the return of these children to this country."

He added: "I have made the children wards of court. I have directed that the father return the children to the jurisdiction of this court forthwith.

"I sincerely hope that the Jordanian authorities will wish to assist this court in enforcing its order and that they will take the view that this court should resolve any disputes there may be between these parents."

He said he would hold a further hearing next week, when he hoped to have a response from the Jordanian authorities.

If it wasn't resolved by then he said he would send the case to the High Court in London, which would be able to make a direct appeal to the Jordanian Ambassador.

A copy of the wardship order issued by the judge will be sent to the Ambassador.

Judge Gee also called on the Legal Services Commission to review their decision not to grant Miss Bromley legal aid to fight the case on the grounds that a court order in this country would have no effect in Jordan. He said: "If what I read in the newspaper is correct, the mother has been refused public funding by the Legal Services Commission on the basis that nothing can be done.

"This shows a complete lack of understanding of the issues. If ever there was a time when a parent needed legal assistance, this was it.

"As can be seen from the orders I have made, the court is not entirely powerless. This mother would have benefited from legal advice before today, she would have benefited from legal representation today and she would clearly benefit from representation at any further hearing.

"It is obvious she would benefit from legal advice following this hearing.

"I find the decision to refuse funding in an international abduction case almost inconceivable and I hope the Legal Services Commission will reconsider."

Nobody at the Legal Services Commission was available for comment.

After yesterday's hearing, Miss Bromley said: "We are delighted that the judge has granted our request to make the girls wards of court. It is what we came here to achieve and takes us one step further to getting the girls back."

Mr Al-Momani is believed to have returned to his home village of Ebeen, outside the capital Amman.