Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's sister-in-law 'joyous and emotional' to see her home

Rebecca Ratcliffe told ITV's Good Morning Britain that the last 24-hours have been both "joyous and emotional", after the return of her sister-in-law from Iran.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in the Middle Eastern country in 2016 and detained for six years after being accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government.

Rebecca Ratcliffe, who is based in Newport, told Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid that she struggled to believe her brother's wife was finally home.

She said: "We've had so many close calls where there's been planes waiting to take her home or we've had phone calls from the British embassy, saying she's about to come home.

"So we found it really hard this week to get too excited. We struggled to believe she was coming home, until we saw her on that flight."

Rebecca added: "Seeing that footage of her touching down and in the arms of Richard and Gabriella, it was really overwhelming. It feels a bit like Christmas morning and waiting for Santa and then Santa finally arriving.

"Six years we've been hoping for this moment and it's really quite a joyous and emotional moment for us."

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released along with Anousheh Ashoori, who was arrested in 2017 and detained in Evin prison for almost five years and was accused of spying.

He was reportedly subjected to torture during his detention.

According to the Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, key to their release was the UK Government paying off a 40-year-old £400 million debt to Iran.

The Ratcliffe's daughter, Gabriella had only been with her mother for one year of her life and her aunty Rebecca says the seven-year-old slept in the same bed as her parents when they were reunited last night.

"It's difficult for her to comprehend. This is a little girl who for most of her life hasn't known a childhood with both her parents.

"This has been something she's wanted for a long time but probably doesn't know how to cope with, but she gets to see her mummy. Last night I heard from Richard that she slept in the bed with them, in between them. I think that's a really special moment for all three of them."

On when Rebecca will have a reunion with Nazanin and Richard, she say she is hoping to see the family at the weekend.

"We have to take it at Nazanin's pace, there's a lot of trauma and anxiety at the moment," she explained.

"They're going to stay in a safe house for a day or two and then hopefully we'll meet up at the weekend but it may be delayed until next week."

She said that when she does eventually get to see Nazanin, there will be lots of crying and hugging.

After arriving home, Rebecca said one of the first things Nazanin asked for was a cup of tea and she thinks her brother and sister-in-law will be doing a great deal of simple things after her ordeal.

Rebecca said: "It will be the cups of tea, the cooking - Nazanin has a great love for cooking and showing her love through food. Simple things like reading stories to Gabriella, going for walks, all those things you take for granted that she's been wishing to do for the last six years."