A mother facing a second Christmas without her missing seven-year-old daughter today made an emotional appeal for her safe return.

Police have launched a Europe-wide missing poster campaign to try to find Jasmin Esmaralda Alvarez, who is believed to have been taken by her father in July 1999.

Edgardo Alvarez, 62, a former Spanish and French teacher at Crawley College, broke the conditions of a High Court visiting order when he failed to return Jasmin - known as Esmaralda by her family - to her mother on July 11 last year.

He had spent the weekend with her during a routine visit.

Police are now working with Interpol to try to trace Mr Alvarez, who is known to have family in Austria, France and Spain.

Local police stations will display the posters, showing pictures of Mr Alvarez and Esmaralda - the couple's only child.

Mrs Alvarez, 39, shared a home with her husband in Bewbush, near Crawley, until they separated in 1998.

After a year and five months of searching, detectives now believe Mr Alvarez may have adopted a new identity.

Mrs Alvarez told a Press conference at Crawley police station: "Esmaralda darling, if you are listening, I would like to say I love you from the bottom of my heart, from here to eternity. I will always remember you.

"If you hear this, please contact me. To see you again would be the best Christmas present I could have.

"I would appeal to all parents who may know where my little girl is to please contact the police in Sussex or Interpol. This is my second Christmas without her. It is very unfair that she is not with me."

Mrs Alvarez said Esmaralda was a "clever, sweet and sharing girl" who was "number one at school".

Police are treating the case as an abduction, but say they need proof that Mr Alvarez took Esmaralda out of the UK before they can charge him.

At present, they are operating under a High Court search and return order.

Detective Sergeant Dave Wardley-Wilkins said: "There is a possibility that they are abroad and that he has taken on a new identity, which will make it harder to trace them.

"I appeal to anyone who has come into contact with either Edgardo or Esmaralda to contact us."