Children feared to have been taken by three sisters to Syria told their fathers they "can't wait to come home" during their last conversation before they went missing, the family's lawyer has revealed.
Khadija Dawood, 30, Sugra Dawood, 34, and Zohra Dawood, 33, whose children are aged between three and 15, went missing after going on an Islamic pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia from their homes in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
Speaking in Bradford this morning, Balaal Hussain Khan, a lawyer acting for the fathers of the missing children, said: "We've had no answers whatsoever, we don't know what's happened."
He said the fathers last spoke to their children on June 8.
He said: "The fathers are understandably quite distraught. One can imagine, not seeing their children for three weeks or so.
"The last conversation with their children was when they were in Medina on the 8th. They said 'We love you, we're missing you, we can't wait to come home'.
"They have been distraught, crying, they don't know what to do."
Mr Khan said he could not confirm reports that the family were under police surveillance before they travelled to Saudi Arabia.
West Yorkshire Police today declined to confirm or deny the reports.
The solicitor added that the children's fathers were happy for the trip to take place.
Mr Khan said the fathers are appealing for anyone who may be able to help trace the family to come forward.
"They are just appealing for further information," he said.
"If there are any friends of the wives or even the children who might have known about this trip, where they are going or if there has been any contact with anyone other than the family members, w are quite keen on you contacting either the police, my firm or the family directly."