A MISSING mum who returned to her family in time to celebrate her son's birthday has said: "I am just glad to be back home."

Alison Houghton, 42, disappeared for four days after becoming overwhelmed by mounting bills and the stress of her youngest son's battle against cancer.

Sam Houghton, who turned 12 on Tuesday, made a desperate plea for his mum to return home through the pages of the Telegraph.

And Alison contacted her family at their home in Orchard Street, Oswaldtwistle, on Sam's birthday and said she wanted to come home.

Alison had gone to Yorkshire, where the family often go caravanning, and headed to Bradford before moving on to Hull. She eventually phoned her family from a Travel Lodge hotel and asked them to come and pick her up.

She was too upset to say anything other than to express her releift aht she was back home.

But Graeme, who works as a engineer at Dobson and Beaumont, Appleby Street, Blackburn, said: "She had been running out of money so she hitch hiked to Hull. We are very lucky that she has come back to us safely. She has been to see the doctor and he said she is suffering from severe depression.

"She must have felt like she had the world on her shoulders to leave like that but we are determined to work through this as a family."

Alison had told family that she was going to visit a solicitor in Blackburn on Friday but failed to return and the police were informed she was missing.

Sam, a Rhyddings High School pupil, was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in January His condition was so serious that he was given only 48 hours to live. But his body fought back against the disease and he is due to start a new round of chemotherapy at Pendlebury Hospital in Manchester today. (Thur) Sam, along with sister Holly, 15, brother Lucas, 14, and father Graeme, 43, are delighted that she has returned.

Graeme: "Alison has been by Sam's bedside since he became ill and even had to give up her ironing job so that she could spend time with him. She was in charge of our finances and it all just became too much for her.

"We have been so worried the whole time she has been away.

"She kept texting to say that she would be back but we didn't know when. It was breaking the children's hearts."