British and Chinese media have recently been reporting about a case involving two British women who have been unable to leave Guangzhou after they were detained following an argument at a Guangzhou store.

Mary Idowu (59) and Esther Jubril-Badmos (48), both from London, claimed that a dispute over a deal to buy 20 slippers at a shoe store turned violent after Ms. Jubril-Badmos asked for her 500 RMB deposit back when she discovered that the slippers had a designer brand name on them. Concerned she would get hassle by customs, she refused to accept the slippers she had ordered.

The women claim that they were then beaten by four employees of the store. When police arrived, only the two British women were detained. They remained in detention for 38 days during which time their visas expired.

It is reported that the women, who both have children in the UK, were not formally charged but did pay compensation to the shoe store owner to avoid civil charges. However, because they overstayed their visas they are currently unable to leave the country and are trapped in so-called legal limbo. Under Chinese law, the women could remain in China for a year until the dispute is settled.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the arrest of two British nationals, Mary Idowu and Esther Jubril Badmos, in Guangzhou, China on 21 June. We are providing consular assistance."

Source: telegraph.co.uk

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Keywords: British women unable to leave Guangzhou