"The best Christmas gift ever" was how Sally Durham received the news that her son, Ian Bamling, and his friend, Lynn Majakas, who have been serving a four-year jail term here, will be freed under the Eid Al Fitr clemency order by President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Thirty-year-old social worker Bamling was jailed along with 44-year-old Majakas after they were caught with three grammes of cannabis at Abu Dhabi International Airport in October 1998.

Throughout their ordeal, Bamling and Majakas have maintained their innocence, claiming the drugs belonged to a friend who had lent them a travel bag for their journey. The two are among the 237 prisoners whose release was ordered by Sheikh Zayed to mark the holy month of Ramadan.

Sally, who had visited the UAE and made several clemency appeals, was speechless for a moment yesterday when Gulf News and the British Embassy gave her the news of her son's release from Wathba Prison.

"I have no words to explain my joy," she said. " I never dreamt that that Ian would be released on Christmas Day." Both Bamling and Majakas will arrive at London's Heathrow Airport in the early hours of December 26.

Sally, speaking from her home town in Yorkshire, said, "We did not prepare for Christmas. But now we will celebrate Christmas with my son one day late. It will be the greatest celebration of our lives, as God has given us the best Christmas gift. We can't wait to go to the airport and receive him at 5.30am on December 26."

From London, the family will drive to Yorkshire, which will take about two and a half hours. "During the whole journey I will be hugging my son I missed for more than three years." She said she got the news at 9.30am UK time. "Since then, we have been praying and thanking God for his intervention to allow my son to join us for this Christmas."

Sally added that the entire family and friends are overjoyed and thank the UAE authorities for their generosity during the Holy Month of Ramadan. An embassy official said they heard the news yesterday morning and immediately informed the families of Bamling and Majakas. The family and friends of Majakas could not be contacted for comment yesterday.