A FATHER involved in a desperate tug-of-love battle with his runaway Czech wife had his hopes of bringing his son home crushed by a court.

The Argus revealed in January 2000 how Newport dad Gareth Williams, (pictured) 43, was left reeling when his wife of one-year Maria, then 21, fled to her native Czech Republic with their baby boy, David.

Now he has discovered he has almost no chance of ever bringing the tot back to Britain. Gareth, who has two grown-up children from a previous marriage, met his wife in 1998.

She fled with their £1,100 savings after their plans to run a pub in Bath fell through. Since then Gareth has tried through the courts to force his wife to return to the UK with David so he can have a British custody battle.

In November, the Czech courts dismissed his case and this week he learned a court of appeal in Pilzen, Czech Republic, had rejected his appeal.

The department of the Lord Chancellor's office acting on behalf of Mr Williams conceded last night the chances of bringing David back to Britain are now virtually nil.

Speaking exclusively to the Argus, heartbroken Gareth, of Aberthaw Road, said: "I am very angry the appeal was heard in my absence.

"The ruling effectively means there is no chance of bringing my wife back to Britain so we can sort out custody, a proper access agreement - I fear I have lost my son forever.

"The only way to describe the way I feel when I'm not with him is that it's as if my son has died - I can still have access but over there I have no rights and it will be all on her terms. "But I am not going to rest - I aim to start a campaign and go to the European Court of Human Rights if I have to."

Gareth has only seen his son on a handful of occasions, costing the unemployed man £600 per trip to his estranged wife's home town, Karlovy - 90 miles from Prague. He claims his access with David is restricted to a bedroom in the property which is locked behind him. "I am almost a stranger to him. I will have missed all three birthdays with him and fear I will never spend one with him."