Two British Women "Trapped in China"

Expats might like to moan about being trapped in China, but for two British women, it's literally true.  After getting into an argument over the 500rmb deposit she left for a pair of slippers.  One of them, Ms Jubril-Badmos, claims that she was dragged from the market by her hair and beaten so badly that her companion, Mary Idowu called the police.  When the police arrived at the scene, they arrested the women, on charges of "provocation and disturbance of the peace".

Working as efficiently as ever, the pair endured 32 hours of interrogation, and were intimidated into signing documents, entirely written in Chinese, including one confession.  According to reports, neither woman was told what they were signing.  After the ordeal of being questioned, they were sent to a detention centre, where they slept on the floor of a 12-person cell.  Eventually, the treatment that was doled out to her took it's toll, Ms Jubril-Badmos collapsed and was sent to a local hospital.

They gave me tablets for my blood pressure. They kept increasing until I was taking 16 a day." Her two daughters came to China to arrange bail. A policeman that they named as Mr Chen advised them that prosecutors had not found any evidence.

Despite paying 45,000rmb (about £4500), to settle the matter out of court, the police are refusing to cancel their bail, and the investigation could run for a year or more.  The British Ambassador has promised consular assistance, but the families of the the two detained Brits say that they are "disillusioned" by the level of support they are receiving from the Guangzhou consular office.

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