FRIENDS and classmates of a 10-year-old Bahrain boy allegedly abducted by relatives in Qatar have been left shocked and devastated by his sudden disappearance. Briton Rebecca Jones claims her son Adam was kidnapped three weeks ago after she was duped into travelling to visit his supposedly sick grandmother.

She left Bahrain with Adam on October 3 to visit her late Qatari ex-husband's family in Doha, leaving behind her husband of five years, Barrie, and the couple's four-year-old daughter Alex.

Mrs Jones earlier told the GDN that she and her son had spent two enjoyable days with the family who were the "perfect hosts".

However, on the day they were due to return home she received a call at their hotel requesting Adam be allowed to visit his ill grandmother.

Mrs Jones agreed and a driver was arranged to pick him up.

She said Adam, who has dual British and Qatari nationality, called to confirm he had arrived at the house safely and she was told he would return after an hour.

Instead, the 43-year-old was asked by one of Adam's uncles to meet him to discuss an issue surrounding her son's inheritance and only then did she find out she had been tricked.

The next day her husband flew in and the couple filed kidnapping allegations with police and the Qatari Public Prosecution.

Mr and Mrs Jones have been staying in Doha since then to fight their case, leaving Alex in Bahrain with her nanny.

They are now in the middle of a custody battle to get their son back to Bahrain, after being informed that her son's 77-year-old grandmother had filed for full custody of Adam.

Among those most affected by Adam's sudden disappearance has been St Christopher's Junior School classmate Mohammed Maigo.

"I've known Adam since we were in nursery and he's one of my best friends," said the 11-year-old Bahraini.

"I've never been apart from him for this long, it's very sad. I miss him.

"Adam is always at our house and he sleeps over very often. I want him to come back."

The sixth grader said Adam's friends at school asked about him every day and were counting the days until he returns.

"They all know what has happened with his family and everyone is waiting for him to come back and play with us," said Mohammed.

His 13-year-old brother, Ali, is in constant contact with Mrs Jones and prays for the day he hears Adam's voice on the other end of the line again.

"I speak to her all the time and I pray that he comes back to us," he said.

"My brother and Adam are always running around the house and we all miss him greatly."

The mother of the boys, Hind Mohammed, described Adam as like one of her own.

"I saw Adam grow up into a wonderful young boy before my eyes and I love him like my own son," she said, trying to fight back tears.

"My sons ask about him everyday and Mohammed insists on visiting Qatar to bring him back to Bahrain.

"They (her sons) always visit him at his house and Adam sleeps over at my house often.

"I pray he is returned to his mother safely and brought back to Bahrain because I consider this brilliant boy as my own son."

The boys' cousin, Diab, who also attends St Christopher's Junior School, insisted on expressing his feelings about Adam to the GDN - despite having a fever.

"Everyone misses Adam because he is constantly with me and my cousins," said the 10-year-old.

"I want him to come back. It's been long enough."

Diab's mother, Sharon Pereira, who is a family friend, said she would do anything she could to help the Jones family but described her situation as a "dead end".

"I'm shocked that this has happened to such good people, I'm absolutely lost for words when I think of it," she said.

"She (Mrs Jones) lives for her children and adored Adam. This is extremely sad.

"We all want to help to try and get him back into her arms again but what can we do?

Meanwhile, Mrs Jones' friend of 15 years, Angela Foley, described her as a loving mother, who would die for her children.

"No mother deserves to go through this, especially her because she is in love with her children," she said.

"She is a family person and would do anything for Adam and Alex. I am worried about what this might do to her.

"No one can believe what is happening to these lovely people. All their friends are praying that Adam comes home safely. This is heartbreaking."

Another close friend of Mrs Jones, who wished to remain anonymous, described her outrage at the situation and demanded a law to protect mothers.

She described the Briton as a dedicated mother who did not deserve such treatment.

"She raised him by herself and would do anything for her children, this is very disturbing because there is nothing anyone can do to help," she said.

"Is there no law to protect mothers? Can people take away a child just like that?"

"The family never had problems and they were always happy. It's devastating."

St Christopher's Junior School head teacher Wendy Bataineh described Adam as a polite and intelligent child.

"Everyone at the school misses him greatly and are awaiting his return," she said.

"His teachers are concerned that he is missing valuable learning time."

Ms Bataineh said the Jones family were always involved in Adam's education and attended every school event.

It is understood Adam attended the first week of classes in September until the school term was postponed because of the swine flu outbreak.

The GDN previously reported that relatives told Mrs Jones that the papers she was being asked to sign were for her son's inheritance, but she refused to do so because they were

in Arabic.

She claimed one of Adam's uncles, who had maintained a good relationship with them, assured her that the papers were about a piece of land her son and his grandmother owned, which they wanted to divide.

Mrs Jones, who was born in Sheffield, moved to Bahrain in 1988 and married Adam's father 10 years later.

Adam was born the following year, but the couple divorced in late 1999.

Adam's father, Jamal, returned to Qatar, but visited Bahrain frequently, until he was killed in a motorbike accident in Qatar in November 2005.

Mrs Jones said she stayed in touch with his family and had taken Adam to visit relatives in Qatar several times since his father's death.

It is understood the Qatari family had originally planned to file the custody case in 2008 but as Mrs Jones wasn't in Qatar, they were unable to get a court order to take the child. noor@gdn.com.bh