Ashya King's parents fear their son will be taken into care if they return to UK

THE PARENTS of brain cancer sufferer Ashya King have said they feel like refugees and are afraid to come back to the UK in case social workers take their son.

Ashya King and his parents NC

Ashya King's parents fear that their son could be taken into care if they return to the UK

The sick youngster's father Brett said they fear the five-year-old could be put into care after they took him out of the UK for treatment without medical consent. 

The family fled abroad with Ashya in August seeking pioneering proton beam therapy which had been denied to him by the NHS. 

Mr King and his wife Naghmeh were arrested on an international arrest warrant but were eventually released and their son given treatment in Prague, Czech Republic.

Since then the family have been living in Malaga, Spain but they are desperate to come back to England. 

However the family say they have not been given reassurances that social workers will not take Ashya into care and have been advised not to return just yet. 

Mr King said: “It’s like we’re refugees.

"We’re not happy here (in Malaga), it’s not our home.

"Our home is in England.”

It’s like we’re refugees. We’re not happy here

Brett King

He added he had been told his local MP had asked what would happen to the King family if they returned to England. 

He continued: "They haven't been able to give a clear answer, so my MP said to keep out of the way for the time being."

Ashya was diagnosed with a brain tumour in July and was receiving traditional treatment at Southampton General Hospital. 

The King family argued with doctors and eventually wheeled him out of the hospital on August 28th without medical consent. 

An international manhunt was sparked and the couple were arrested in a Spanish hotel before they spent three days in jail accused of neglect. 

Eventually they were freed after an outcry and the three of them were flown to Prague where Ashya received radical proton beam therapy. 

He has now completed his course and his said to be improving and getting stronger every day. 

He is currently being treated by medics in Madrid but the family want to return back to Hampshire. 

Last month Mr King, a father of seven, returned to see his family but had his passport seized and was asked to wait in a holding area. 

Ashya King in hospital in Prague EPA

Ashya King, 5, arriving for proton beam therapy in Prague

He says the experience has made him frightened to ever return.

"I'd like to go back to England again in the New Year but I don't want any more hassle," he said.

His eldest son has had to give up his job as he is unsure whether the family can return to the UK while the others are now in school in Spain. 

Mr King continued: "None of my children are happy, they were getting on OK with their friends in England.

"We're just here for Ashya.

"Hopefully in time everything will be fine but at the moment it's still a bit of a rough time."

Ashya King in hospital with parents

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