The mother of a toddler, missing for six months, is hoping she will return home for her birthday on Sunday.

Three-year-old Danielle Dempster was taken by her father, John.

Her mother, Anne-Marie Kingshott has heard nothing from her daughter, former partner or his family, who all disappeared in January.

Miss Kingshott, 24, of Greenleaf Gardens, Eastbourne, believed they were in Spain but has her fingers crossed her daughter will return in time for her fourth birthday.

She said: "I would do anything to have her here for her birthday, even if she was throwing a tantrum or misbehaving.

"We will still buy her presents anyway. She really likes the Tweenies and Blue's Clues.

"If she was here, we would have a big family party with her friends and cousins but we will definitely have one when she comes back."

Miss Kingshott moved back to her parent's home in Cavalry Crescent, Eastbourne, after Danielle was taken.

She had returned home from a course in Croydon to find her former partner, John Dempster, his parents Fay and John Dempster, brother Stephen and Danielle were all missing.

The house had been stripped of furniture, clothes, photograph albums and Danielle's toys.

Since then, Miss Kingshott has been back and forth to the family courts in London, where she succeeded in making her daughter a ward of court.

She said: "The next step is hearing from British Telecom about phone records so we can try to trace them."

Danielle's grand-mother, Dianne Kingshott, said the disappearance had brought the family closer.

She said: "We are going to buy her presents anyway. She still has some from Christmas and Easter to open when she comes back as well as for her birthday."

Miss Kingshott, who has been signed off work due to stress, said keeping busy was the only way to cope without her daughter.

She said: "I'm just trying to find things to do. I'm used to running around after her all the time.

"We have to keep going up to the courts and it's horrible to be in a position where we have to keep doing that."

Danielle was due to start at Pashley Down Infant School in Eastbourne in September.

She has already missed three afternoon introduction sessions.

Miss Kingshott said if her daughter was not back for her birthday the family would have a quiet day and take Danielle's cousins, Charlotte and James, to the park.