Girls who were ‘orphaned’ on a shopping trip to US

Two British sisters were sent to a tough inner-city orphanage after their mother fell ill during their trip to New York.

Gemma, 15, and 13-year-old Katie were planning a long weekend of shopping when their mother, Yvonne Bray, suffered a bout of pneumonia. Her condition suddenly worsened and she was taken to hospital. But authorities decided the girls could not stay with her and they were whisked off to the orphanage in Manhattan.

There the teenagers, from Appledore, Devon, were split up, frisked and forced to pose for mug shots. One of the guards even asked: 'Have you any homicidal tendencies?' and 'What street gangs are you in?' A bemused Gemma replied: 'I'm a member of Appledore library.'



Stripped of their belongings, the girls were issued plain white T-shirts and elasticated jeans. They were forbidden from leaving the home and put into a glass-walled dorm for 12 to 15-year-old girls.

'It was scary at first, but everyone was really friendly,' said Gemma, adding: 'They wanted to know all about England and whether we knew the Queen.'

After two nights and still ill, Ms Bray, 39, checked herself out of hospital. She said: 'I went back to the hotel and eventually got a call from a woman who said she had the kids. I was so relieved.'