"Hannah James finally made the decision to leave him and Bahrain with her son with support and help from her family. He made it impossible for her to leave as he burnt her passport.

"He then went to the police and accused her of having an affair, so she is and has been in Bahrain prison for one month now, and is looking at a sentence between 1-5 years on the grounds of adultery."

The Foreign Office confirmed Ms James has now been released from prison but her mother said she cannot yet leave the country "for legal reasons".

Mrs James said she had been in touch with the British Embassy in Bahrain but accused them of being "no help at all".

The online fundraising drive has almost reached its £2,500 target.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are providing support to a British woman following her arrest in Bahrain.

"We remain in contact with both her family and with the Bahraini authorities."