THREE members of one family have admitted their part in an elaborate plot to hide a nine-year-old girl from the care of social services.

The family, who cannot be named, feared the girl would be made the subject of a court order after her 11-year-old brother was taken into care.

The boy was removed from the family home in January 1999 when Sunderland Social Services alleged that his mother had fictitious illness syndrome.

The girl's parents and grandmother then took part in a plot to keep the girl, and enlisted child welfare campaigners to help them.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the girl's grandmother fled to Ireland with the youngster before being met by Stuart Carnie, 37, who travelled with them through Ireland and Scotland to a pre-arranged safe house.

Prosecutor Christopher Knox told the court that a discussion took place between the family and the campaigner about a case involving the Bramley family, who achieved national publicity when they went on the run with their foster children.

Once in Scotland, Carnie appealed to the media to highlight the youngster's plight, but journalists were stopped from publishing the story due to a court order.

On the second day of their trial, the girl's grandmother and Carnie, 37, of Aberdeen, admitted conspiring to abduct a child. The girl's parents admitted aiding and abetting the abduction.

Charges against the girl's grandfather and aunt were left on file and Pauline Thomson, 38, of Stirling, was cleared of taking part by arranging the safe house.

The grandmother, parents and Carnie will be sentenced on July 20.