A Scottish woman jailed in Bahrain over adultery is free to return home after the charges against her were dropped.

Hannah James, from Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, moved to the nation in the Middle East with her partner Jassim Alhaddar and their son last year.

However, she was charged with adultery, a crime under Bahrain's Sharia-based legal system, after Mr Alhaddar reported her to police following a dispute between the two.

As a result, Ms James was locked up in prison in the Middle Eastern country to face the charges and her family claim she was kept in difficult conditions and given only rice and water.

Ms James' mother Shelley also claims her daughter's estranged husband had been physically abusing her and contacted the British Embassy over the incident.

She was finally released from prison on Thursday by the authorities but could not leave the country due to legal reasons.

Shelley James launched a Crowdfunding campaign to raise money to bring her daughter home, which has raised almost £2500.

She said online: "I can now confirm that Hannah James has been released from Bahrain jail at 6pm [on Thursday] and is in safe hands and being very well looked after.

"But she cannot leave Bahrain at the moment due to legal reasons. I will let everyone know when she returns back to the UK. I would like to say a big thank-you to everyone for their support."

However, on Sunday the Bahrain Embassy confirmed to STV News on Sunday that Ms James has had all charges against her dropped and is now free to return to Scotland.

A spokesman for the embassy told STV News: "The woman admitted to the act and she and her husband agreed to divorce. On January 5, 2017, the complainant withdrew the complaint and the wife was released. All charges of adultery were dropped.

"The divorce of the marriage between the British woman and the Bahraini man will be formalised and made final on January 8.

"There is no travel ban or restriction in place against the British National, the only issue was that of the passport, in which she reported to the police as lost.

"However, she is free to depart as soon as that issue is resolved with the British Authorities."

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are providing support to a British woman following her arrest in Bahrain. We remain in contact with both her family and with the Bahraini authorities."