The British couple who adopted twin girls in the American state of Arkansas are planning to appeal against a recent court order that declared the adoption void.

Alan and Judith Kilshaw have asked the Arkansas' Court of Appeals to delay the order while they appeal against the ruling county judge Mackie Pierce.

Their lawyer Carrol Ann Hicks filed a motion with the appeals court last week and has until May 1 to file a legal brief on their appeal.

Judge Pierce ruled that neither the Kilshaws nor the children's natural mother, Tranda Wecker, of St Louis, Missouri, met a 30-day Arkansas residency requirement needed for the adoption to be valid.

A hearing in the High Court in London on custody of the twins is set for next week. In the meantime, the children remain with Flintshire County Council foster carers.

Ms Wecker, her estranged husband, Aaron Wecker, and the Kilshaws, from Buckley, north Wales, are all fighting for custody of the nine-month-old babies.

Californian couple Richard and Vicky Allen were also seeking custody after unsuccessfully trying to adopt the same babies.

But they have bowed out of the fight in an effort to keep custody of their two-year old son, Andrew, now in foster care, after Mr Allen, 49, was accused of molesting two family baby sitters. He has denied the allegations.

See also:

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Twins: Birth father in legal bid
Twins: Allens bid to overturn adoption
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High Court to decide twins' fate
Net baby couple go into hiding