THE brother of a Blackburn girl at the centre of an inter-national abduction row has claimed the family spilt up after his mother had an affair.

And Omar Rana insisted that his sister, Molly Campbell, 12, had not been kidnapped by their father but is living happily with him in Lahore, Pakistan.

Molly's mother Louise Campbell, 38, has now confirmed that she is set to begin legal action in a bid to have her daughter returned to her.

And police investigating the abduction claims, said a report had been sent to prosecutors to decide if criminal proceedings can go ahead.

An international police-hunt was sparked when Molly went missing from the Hebridean island of Lewis, off the Scottish coast, where she lived with her mother, last week.

She had boarded a flight to Lahore with her father Sajid Ahmed Rana after a visit.

The family used to live in Moss Street, in the Daisyfield area of Blackburn, but the family split three years ago.

Omar, 21, said Mrs Campbell left the family in Blackburn in 2000 after starting an affair with her current partner Kenny Campbell.

After that, Molly, who is also known as Misbah Iram Ahmed Rana, her sister and brother Adam went to live in Pakistan with their father, he said.

But Molly returned and had been living with her mother and Mr Campbell on Lewis.

Mrs Campbell is Molly's legal guardian but in Pakistan, where Molly has dual UK and Pakistani nationality, the law is understood to state that the father always has custody.

Mrs Campbell has pleaded for Molly's safe return and initially alleged that she had been taken to Pakistan to take part in an arranged marriage.

But Molly's brother said that his sister was happy in Pakistan with her father and had travelled there of her own free will.

Omar said he had spoken to Molly after she arrived in Pakistan, and she told him: "I am really happy I am here. It was really hard with mum, all I did was hide in my room."

He said: "For my mum to turn around saying that dad is doing the kidnapping is wrong. If anything, my mum is doing the kidnapping, taking my little sister away and not keeping in contact with the family."

Omar also said claims that Molly was being taken to Pakistan for an arranged marriage were "all lies". He added: "My dad is not a mean guy."

He said the family had been concerned about Molly, who, he said, was not happy staying with her mother and her partner.

A statement made by Louise Campbell through her solicitors, Balfour and Manson, said: "We have agreed we are not going to say anything.

"We are acting in the best interests of the child and we're doing all we can to secure Molly back.

"We're pursuing the proper lines to get Molly back."

Alasdair Morrison, the MSP for the Western Isles, said that regardless of the will of the 12-year-old she should return to this country because the law had been broken when she was removed from her legal guardian, her mother.

If she and her father wanted to challenge the custody rules, they needed to go through the proper legal process, he added.