A lesbian mother is wanted by police for allegedly abducting the toddler daughter she raised with her wife and eloping to Britain with the sperm donor of a second child.

Lauren Etchells, 31, is accused of lying to passport officials to obtain documents for her daughter Kaydance, two, so she could flee Canada without the knowledge of her ex-partner Tasha Brown.

Miss Etchells and Miss Brown, 43, married in Canada in 2012 and Kaydance was conceived two years later with donor sperm.

Lauren Etchells, 31 (left), is accused of lying to passport officials to obtain documents for her daughter Kaydance so she could flee Canada without the knowledge of her ex-partner Tasha

Teacher Miss Etchells, originally from South Shields, South Tyneside, carried the child and she and Miss Brown were named as parents on the baby's birth certificate. The couple then agreed to have a second child last year – but split shortly after.

Miss Etchells went through with the pregnancy and gave birth to a son using the sperm of long-time friend Marco van der Marwe, 31, the Times reported.

The two later embarked on a heterosexual relationship and are now engaged, according to Miss Brown.

Miss Etchells and Miss Brown became locked in a court dispute over custody of Kaydance and an order was obtained forbidding Miss Etchells from leaving Vancouver, Canada.

It is alleged that after lying to the country's passport officials, Miss Etchells obtained a passport for Kaydance and boarded a flight to Gatwick on May 8 with Mr van der Marwe and the two young children.

Police from British Columbia, have begun an investigation into the alleged abduction after Miss Brown gave an emotional press conference saying she had waited for nearly five months in 'painful silence and misery' to go public.

She said: 'Rather than celebrating her second birthday together, I am instead in a police room sending a plea to the world… 'Kaydance, every day I wonder where you are and if you are all right'.'

Teacher Miss Etchells, originally from South Shields, South Tyneside, carried the child and she and Miss Brown were named as parents on the baby's birth certificate. The couple then agreed to have a second child last year using the sperm of long-time friend Marco van der Marwe (left)

Commenting on Miss Etchells' relationship with a man the couple knew from their time together, Miss Brown added: 'To be betrayed in such a way just added to my misery.' After marrying in Canada, Miss Etchells and Miss Brown planned to teach in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. Because of this, Miss Brown agreed her name would be temporarily removed from Kaydance's birth certificate. But when they separated, Miss Etchells refused to have her name reinstated.

A court order was obtained ordering Miss Etchells to surrender her British and Canadian passports, but she later applied for the return of her British passport, saying it needed to be renewed. She then flew to Gatwick with Kaydance, Mr van der Marwe and the newborn boy they had together.

She is believed to have travelled to France and police are also investigating links to Spain and the Middle East. Canadian detectives are working with Interpol to locate her.