A MOTHER vowed to begin a new life with her son yesterday, after winning an international battle for her parental rights.

Allison Williams flew back from California in the US, after she won her legal fight for custody of seven-year-old Daniel, ending what she described as four years of hell.

The 40-year-old and her son jetted back to their home in North Yorkshire last night, after she was given full parental rights by Judge Louise Halvey, a judge of the Pasadena court.

The York mother had been in lengthy battles with Daniel's father, Kevin Stucki, and they had reached a shared custody agreement for his care. But Kevin, of California, contracted leukae-mia and died and Allison faced a desperate struggle to quickly raise 3,000 dollars to pay for custody proceedings.

Following the uncontested court hearing in California, Ms Williams said: "I am so ecstatic. As soon as the judge said 'You can go', I burst into tears. I have been through four years of hell and this is finally it. He's mine.

"I can't tell you how I feel at the moment. It is absolutely brilliant.

"We have always had to part and now we don't any more."