A FOUR-YEAR-OLD girl who went missing after going to stay with her father is settling back in to life at home.

Estelle Clayton, know as Esti, was found with her father, Simon, in Portugal. She was reunited with her mother, Aneta, who has not seen her daughter for six weeks. Now the pair have returned to their home in Brecon, mid-Wales.

Mr Clayton, a Hay-on-Wye bookseller, was days away from a custody battle with his former wife when he took Esti.

Dyfed Powys police later learned he had taken a ferry from Portsmouth to France with his daughter on April 9, hours after picking her up from her mother.

They also discovered a letter saying he was going on holiday. But detectives feared he had quit the UK for good.

It was also believed that Esti had taken her ferret, Fifi, but the pet has not been found. After an extensive appeal, the father and daughter were tracked down to the town of Lagos on the Algarve coast.

Mr Clayton, 41, a former pilot, was arrested and extradition proceedings have begun. Mrs Clayton was reunited with Esti in a Portugal children's home.

She said: "They spoke English. Esti really enjoyed herself there. She was happy." It was a tense journey to Portugal said Mrs Clayton, who was afraid to let herself believe it was Esti until she had actually seen her.

She described the reunion as 'amazing'. "I was just hugging her very tightly and kissing her all the time," said Mrs Clayton.

"She was happy to see me and gave me a big hug and kisses and started to talk straight away about her holiday."

Esti has not been told the truth about the trip, still believing she was taken on holiday by her father and that he remains in Portugal because he was injured.

Mrs Clayton said: "She just said her dad has done something to his leg and has to stay in Portugal and mammy came to pick her up."

She said she doubted she would ever tell Esti what had happened, saying: "I do not think she needs to know."