TWO young children watched in horror as their father was dragged away in handcuffs after they returned from the holiday of a life time.

Albanian Edmond Arapi, aged 29, was stopped at customs when he flew into Gatwick Airport and later arrested in connection with a murder committed in Italy on October 22, 2004.

His wife Georgina and their daughters, Maria, aged six, and two-year-old Sarina, were on the other side of passport control when the drama unfolded before their eyes at 10.30pm on Tuesday last week.

Mrs Arapi – who is fighting "tooth and nail" to prove her husband's innocence – explained: "They stopped him and asked if they could make a couple of checks, which he agreed to immediately.

"For two-and-a-half hours we were waiting. We weren't even allowed a private room.

"The girls became hysterical when they saw daddy being handcuffed in full view of everyone returning from their holidays.

"We weren't even given a chance to say goodbye or kiss him. They just dragged him away."

The Arapis were returning from a four-week break visiting extended family in Albania, a holiday Georgina described as the "best trip of their lives".

But following the arrest, Mrs Arapi, aged 26, faced a 200-mile journey back to Langford Street, Leek, not knowing when she would next see her husband.

The former Westwood College pupil said: "The kids keep asking 'where's daddy, where's daddy?' I don't know what to tell them. All I can say is that a mistake has been made and he'll be home soon.

"I haven't even plucked up the courage to tell Edmond's parents for fear they'll have a heart attack."

Mrs Arapi maintains her husband's arrest is a case of mistaken identity and has been busy collecting evidence to prove he was in the UK at the time of the murder.

She said: "Basically, all we've been told is that his name was on Interpol's list of wanted people.

"We don't even know who the poor person was who has been murdered or where in Italy it happened.

"I can't understand how they can have charged him on the basis of such paltry evidence."

Mr Arapi, who left Albania in search of a better life in the UK in 2000, works as a chef at the Travellers' Rest, in Leekbrook.

And without his weekly wage, Mrs Arapi says she will struggle to make ends meet.

The full-time mum said: "It's completely thrown our budget into disarray as he gets paid on a weekly basis. I only have £400 in the bank and if this doesn't get sorted soon I don't know what we will do."

The couple met while studying at Stoke-on-Trent College and tied the knot in October 2006.

Mrs Arapi described her husband as a "hard-working" and "trustworthy" person.

She said: "He's never even been late for work or taken a day off sick, let alone killed someone."

Next door neighbour Alan Bridgwood, aged 61, could not believe the charges levelled against Mr Arapi.

He said: "I certainly hope this is all cleared up as quickly as possible so he can be freed to return to his family."

Mrs Arapi has already contacted MP Charlotte Atkins, who has asked the Justice Minister Jack Straw to highlight the family's plight.

Ms Atkins said: "It is everyone's worst nightmare to be plucked out of an airport.

"No-one with young kids should be left without their husband. I am very concerned to see that they get justice."