Abductors' threats of explosive jacket for British boy

Raja Saeed said the heavily armed gang which took his son claimed that they could put an explosive jacket on the five-year-old and "blow him to pieces".

During the days that Sahil was missing, Mr Saeed feared the boy might be killed, and at one point was convinced that the gang were watching him.

The nightmare began when Mr Saeed took his son on holiday to Jhelum in Pakistan.

On their last night, March 4, four armed and masked men ambushed their taxi as they prepared to travel to the airport.

The gang had guns and grenades, and stripped the terrified group of valuables before snatching Sahil.

Mr Saeed told the Mail on Sunday: "They said, 'we're going to take your son. We know you're a businessman and we know you have lots of money'.

"My heart pounded. I pleaded with them, telling them I was not a rich man and had no money. I was completely helpless."

A man from the gang initially demanded 200,000 as a ransom, which was slowly negotiated down to 110,000.

Mr Saeed said he feared his son had been killed and when he demanded proof that his son was safe, the gang threatened to send him body parts.

He said: "I could not eat. I could not sleep. It was totally traumatic. I was willing that phone to ring."

The kidnappers ordered him to fly back to Manchester and knew when he was at the airport.

Mr Saeed said: "I wondered whether they were watching me. They seemed to know my every move. I was very upset leaving Pakistan knowing my son was with this gang but thought nothing of myself and only of his safety." Greater Manchester Police sent him to a safe house when he returned to Britain.

Mr Saeed arranged for a "friend" in Paris to hand over the ransom money, but is not allowed to discuss details of the plan. He faced repeated horrific threats against his little boy.

"They said they would cut things off my son if I didn't do what they wanted – arms, fingers, ears. I was getting numerous calls a day asking if I had the money.

"They said 'look you know how we came to your house in jackets packed with bullets and grenades. You know what we can do to him – we can put a jacket around him with grenades and explosives and blow him to pieces. And we will deliver what's left of him to you in a bin bag on a roundabout."

After the money was dropped off in Paris, it took the gang two days to free Sahil. They told Mr Saeed if the police were involved then his relatives in Pakistan would be in danger.

Sahil's mother Akila said it was "so amazing" to hear her son's voice when they finally spoke on the phone after he was freed.

When the five-year-old finally returned to Britain, relatives gathered in Oldham to welcome him home. She said: "It was a magical moment. I hugged him and held him and kissed him. I couldn't put him down."

Mr Saeed had earlier been reunited with his son at the British High Commission in Islamabad. "He was screaming 'daddy, daddy!' I scooped him up and hugged him so tight I thought he could break.

"I started kissing and hugging him. Then I started crying."

Three people – two Pakistani men and a Romanian woman – were arrested in Spain accused of involvement in the kidnapping and appeared in court.