Man and woman due in court over kidnap of children from outside school

On Tuesday morning, police received a report that two young children, a girl aged five and a boy aged two, had been taken from their foster parents by one of their relatives.

The children were picked up by the female relative outside of a school in the west of the city at around 9.30am on Tuesday.

An investigation was launched and this afternoon the children were found by police in the care of the same relative and another man.

At no stage were the children believed to be in any immediate danger and they were safely returned to the care of their foster parents.

A man and woman were arrested in connection with the incident and now a 33-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman have been charged with two counts of kidnap.

They will appear before Bedlington Magistrates' Court this morning.