An Orthodox Jewish mother has been reunited with her two sons after they were kidnapped by their father in December 2012.

Rachael Neustadt, a former teacher, said she wanted to thank the UK Jewish community for their “prayers” after she was reunited with Daniel Jacob, aged eight, and Jonathan, six.

Speaking outside the UK High Court yesterday, Ms Neustadt said: "I am thrilled and relieved that the boys are back home," she said. "We have so much to catch up on and so many hugs to make up for."

The boys were returned to their American-born mother after Russian authorities co-operated with a UK court order for the first time and upheld the 1996 Hague Child Protection Convention.

Eight months ago, a Moscow City Court ordered Mr Neustadt to return his sons to their mother, who lives in Hendon, north-west London.

Mr Neustadt, 37, defied the order and went into hiding. This month, the children were found in a Moscow apartment with their paternal grandmother Irina Mogilevsky.

The boys have now been reunited with their younger brother Meir, who is two-years-old.