A mother accused of abducting her four-year-old son has told the Epsom Guardian how the UK’s custody system forced her to flee the country.

From her hiding place, Lorraine Rathbone, 34, wrote to the newspaper to explain she had been driven abroad because of a court order demanding the return of Joel Rathbone to his father, Steven.

A court had awarded the couple, who used to live in a £500,000 in Worcester Park, joint custody after they split – Joel was to stay with his father at weekends and with his mother during the week.

But Mrs Rathbone said the decision was unfair as it did not allow her any weekends with her son.

“I have taken this drastic action as the courts have failed me and my son. What I can’t understand is why I have not got my son,” she wrote in a letter.

“I don’t take drugs or have a criminal record – I am of sound mind and I love my son dearly. I know that Joel must see his father but the recent order allows me no weekends with my son.”

She added: “The whole arrangement treats Joel like a package – there’s no stability.”

Mrs Rathbone, who also reassured her relatives and friends she and Joel were “happy and healthy”, wrote her letter after reading a story last month in the Epsom Guardian about her husband’s distress waiting for news of their child.

It had been thought that mother and son were in Spain, but that has not been confirmed.

They were last seen around Valentine’s Day when Mr Rathbone, who now lives in Colliers Wood, was due to take care of Joel.

Mrs Rathbone said she had also written to Harriet Harman, the Solicitor General, to complain about the unfairness of child access laws.

A spokesman for a Child Protection Agency at Barnes confirmed this week that inquiries to trace mother and son were continuing.

Mr Rathbone did not wish to comment.