THE Home Office has been accused of dirty tricks after a sick young child and her family were forced to leave the country.

Eight-year-old Waieeba Qudoos, who suffers from malaria, was taken from Glasgow's Yorkhill Hospital just three days after surgery and sent to a detention centre in England with her mother and sisters last week.

Now Waieeba, her mum Humaira and sisters Maida, 6, and Mahnoor, 3, have been sent back to Pakistan - despite fears Humaira will face persecution there.

Phil Jones, of the Unity Centre in Ibrox, which supported the family, said staff and volunteers were heartbroken to hear of the family's removal.

He said: "They didn't notify the family's lawyer until 5.15.pm on Friday and even then it was their old lawyer, not the one dealing with the case.

"Then there were problems getting documents to the new lawyer in time."

The family was detained twice this year after failing in an asylum bid.

Humaira, who came to Scotland with the children and her husband, said he deserted the family and she had suffered abuse.

But the courts ruled against her staying in Scotland, despite a temporary reprieve when the family were reunited with neighbours in Scotstoun.

Mr Jones said dozens of supporters contacted the Home Office to try to stop the repatriation.

A Border and Immigration Agency spokesman said: "The Government has made it clear it will take a robust approach to removing people from the country where they have no legal right to be here.

"We only return those whom the asylum decision-making and appeals processes have found do not need international protection and who can therefore return safely."