Professional cupcake baker Indea Ford, 34, today admitted abducting her two children and taking them to Alaska

A British mother who admitted abducting her two children and taking them to Alaska without permission has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Indea Ford, 34, broke court orders to take the children to Sitka following the breakdown of her 'acrimonious' relationship with their father, Isleworth Crown Court heard on Monday.

Professional cupcake baker Indea, who previously lived in Maidstone, Kent, was due to go on trial today.

But this morning she tearfully pleaded guilty to two counts of child abduction after the move with her two young daughters in October 2015.

Sentencing Ford, Recorder Gibson Grenfell QC said: 'A cynic might say the defendant has achieved what she set out to achieve: keep the children incourt hearings.'

But he said the father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, may have at times behaved 'reprehensibly' during the relationship.

Parts of Ford's mitigation has been made subject to reporting restrictions, but the court heard the father denies certain allegations.

After marrying an American in the military, Ford broke a custody order and a family court judgment preventing her moving the children abroad.

Lauren Soertsz, in mitigation, said Ford made the 'wrong decision' when she overstayed in the US while on holiday, but did so with the best intentions.

'She was operating on emotion and when she saw how happy the children were, her desire for that to continue was just too strong,' Ms Soertsz said.

She added: 'By remaining in America, she was protecting her children. She wanted them to