A MOTHER cleared of trying to poison her daughter is pleading with the authorities to reunite the pair.

Mary Kidson has not seen her 16-year-old for seven months, after the teen was taken into care when her mother was jailed ahead of her trial.

The 56-year-old, from Ledbury, was acquitted of giving her daughter unnecessary medication this month following a three-week trial.

But she has been left furious at the actions of Herefordshire Council, who she accuses of ruining her child’s life.

“I just want my daughter home,” said Ms Kidson. “I haven’t seen her since April and am only allowed a 15-minute phone conversation every fortnight.”

She says the council has let her family down throughout the process, starting by not telling her that concerns had been raised about her care of her daughter.

“Why Herefordshire Council acted as they did is still totally unbelievable and completely out of order,” she said.

“They have ruined my daughter’s life and torn our family apart.”

Ms Kidson, who specialises in helping children develop reading, language and learning skills, said her daughter has a history of health issues including a form of general dyspraxia, plus speech problems and weight issues.

She went to NHS doctors in search of a cure but said they couldn’t help her child, leading to her looking online.

This led to her and her daughter visiting a doctor in Brussels, Dr Thierry Hertoghe, who prescribed the youngster with medication not offered by the NHS doctors, causing a “dramatic improvement” in her condition.

“In her own words, she felt better than ever,” said Ms Kidson. “Her speech issue had gone.”

The first Ms Kidson knew of any problem was in March 2013 when she was arrested and her daughter taken away.

“It was a huge shock and totally out of the blue,” she said, adding she later learned the girl’s father, to who she is estranged, had sent letters to health professionals citing concerns over her treatment.

“I just wish he had told me,” she said. “My daughter just wanted to be fit and well.”

She was later charged and remanded in custody from April this year.

However, she says her time in prison wasn’t as bad as first feared. She became a maths mentor helping out fellow inmates, and says she struck up friendships with others inside.

But she admits the thought of spending 10 years behind bars, the maximum sentence should she have been convicted, was “horrendous”.

“When I heard about the acquittal, I sobbed my heart out,” she said.

Since being cleared, a friend of hers launched an online petition calling for the mother and daughter to be reunited.

It has already attracted almost 2,000 signatures.

Ms Kidson says she has gained a great deal of solace knowing people have supported her throughout her ordeal.

A Herefordshire Council spokeswoman said the authority is aware of the petition.

“Decisions on placing a child in care and ending a period of care are taken by the family court, not the council,” she added.

“The family court reaches its decisions after considering evidence presented by a range of experts and interested parties, including parents and the young person involved.

“The council is in contact with both parents about the next steps.”

* A court order that was made ahead of the trial prevented the press from naming Ms Kidson's child but ruled that she can be identified as her daughter.