Kidnap baby is back with parents

FARRAH QULI, the six-month- old baby abducted by a bogus childminder from her home in east London, was found safe and well in the Republic of Ireland yesterday. She was reunited with her parents late last night at a hospital in Limerick.

A woman is being held by police and is expected to appear at a special weekend sitting of a court in Limerick on charges related to the kidnapping. She is said to be 22 and is originally from England.

Gardai in Dublin confirmed that Farrah had been found yesterday afternoon at a house near Limerick after a telephone tip-off from a member of the public.

She was being cared for at Limerick Regional Hospital until she could be identified by her parents, Shane, 31, and Bernadette, 24, who flew to Ireland after the hunt for Farrah switched there.

As the couple prepared to leave Britain, Mrs Quli said: 'I want to be there for her when we find her.' After arriving in Dublin they were taken to Limerick, which is a three hour drive away.

A hospital spokesman said: 'The child has been examined by one of our medical staff and appears to be in good condition.'

The tip-off came within minutes of the main television news bulletin on RTE which featured a photo-fit of the woman believed to have kidnapped Farrah.

Chief Superintendent Mick Fitzgerald, of Limerick Gardai, said the tip had led detectives to a house in the village of Cratloe, five miles west of Limerick: 'Inquiries in that area led us to a particular house. We approached the owners and located the baby and the lady.'

Farrah was abducted on Thursday by a 'very convincing' woman calling herself Julie Watson, who answered a newspaper advert placed by Mrs Quli.

The hunt switched to Ireland after a Dublin woman said she had seen the child and her kidnapper on a Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire ferry. On Thursday evening, Farrah's navy baby buggy was found at Victoria coach station in London.

Marina Reid, who alerted the police, took the buggy home. She told Sky News: 'It was just the fact that she left a new buggy that I couldn't get over.' Police believe 'Watson' went there after leaving the Qulis' house in East Ham and travelled by coach to Holyhead to catch a ferry on Friday.

(Photograph omitted)