A 20-year-old British backpacker who was “kidnapped” on a road trip in Australia was rescued after she pretended to use her phone to give the driver directions but instead sent texts to her father in Manchester who shared her locations with local police.

Mary Kate Heys, who arrived from Manchester two weeks ago, was staying at a hostel on the Sunshine Coast in the state of Queensland and joined a 22-year-old Swedish backpacker on an early morning road trip.

She said he was “in a manic state” and she agreed to go with him because she was concerned about his safety.