A British couple at the centre of an Internet twins adoption scandal will not appeal a court ruling that the babies be returned to their natural family in the United States, their lawyer said today.
"They have now decided in the best interests of the children not to appeal", lawyer Mr Michael Charles said in a statement.
"Throughout the proceedings they have been only too aware of the impact this has had on both the twins and their own children," the statement said. It also complained at the media treatment of Alan and Judith Kilshaw.
Mr Justice Andrew Kirkwood ruled on Monday the nine-month-old twin girls, bought over the Internet by the Kilshaws for £8,200, should be sent back to Missouri to their natural family.
A Californian couple, Mr Richard and Mrs Vickie Allen, claimed that they had purchased the babies over the Internet but have since dropped the claim.
The children's natural mother, Ms Tranda Wecker, said yesterday that she regretted giving them up for adoption and that she wanted to share their custody with her estranged husband.