A SEVERELY disabled five-year-old girl was last night believed to be back in her home country of Yemen after her teachers failed to win an 11th-hour reprieve on her deportation.

Miaad Garwash, who is deaf, blind, cannot speak, and cannot walk, was a pupil at Priory Woods School, in Middlesbrough, until Friday.

Her parents had lodged an application for refugee status after they entered the country last year, but their request was refused.

They were arrested and put in a detention centre over the weekend to await deportation.

Teachers fear Miaad, who also suffers from epilepsy and is brain-damaged, could die once back in her home country.

She had been at the Beacon-standard special needs school since February, and was making good progress.

But the first the school knew about her parents' arrest was when Miaad failed to turn up on Monday morning.

The Home Office last night declined to say if the family was deported yesterday, and said it could not comment on cases because of confidentiality.

But it is believed they were put on a flight back to Yemen yesterday morning.

Last night, the Oakington detention centre, in Cambridgeshire, where the family had been detained, said they had left, but would not say where they had gone.

Miaad's headteacher, Bernadette Knill, said: "I spoke to Mr Garwash on the phone on Monday night and he thanked us for our help but said they had to go back.

"I did still think that maybe there might be a bit of compassion or our message could have got through to the authorities.

"We just did not have enough time for the information to get to the right people at the right time. It all happened so quickly."

Mrs Knill was concerned that Miaad would not get the treatment she needed for her epilepsy in Yemen, which could lead to further brain damage or even death.

She said she would write to the British Embassy in Yemen with information about Miaad, including Press cuttings, to try to ensure she gets the right treatment.

The school has sent dozens of letters from all members of staff to the Home Office protesting at the deportation and the treatment of Miaad.