The mum of a little girl with a severe form of epilepsy says she is devastated after her daughter's cannabis-based medication was confiscated by officials at Southend Airport.

Emma Appleby, of Milner Crescent, Aylesham, attempted to bring back several weeks' worth of treatment for nine-year-old Teagan after visiting medics in Rotterdam in Holland.

But she burst into tears as she described how the life-changing oil was taken away as she went through the airport's customs today.

She said: "I am just devastated. They have taken medication away that could save her life.

"Someone told them on social media but we did not tell anyone where we were flying to."

Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced in October that cannabis could be medically-prescribed by neurologists and other specialists. It was legally allowed on prescription in the UK from November 1.

In December last year, Teagan received cannabis-based medication at Evelina Children's Hospital.

The treatment proved successful and her condition, which can cause up to 300 seizures a day, was said to have stabilised.

But since then, receiving prescriptions has proved difficult, which led to the family's desperate attempt to bring back the medication.

While it is legal to buy in Holland it remains illegal to ship it back to the UK.

During the trip, Emma told the BBC: "This is our last resort. There's nothing else.

"My daughter is seizuring every single night, every single day and I don't know if she's going to wake up in the morning.

"I need to do whatever I can. If there's a single slight chance that this medication will help her and save her I'm going to be here."

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