A father accused of forging a passport before abducting his autistic son and fleeing to America has been extradited back to the United Kingdom to face charges.

The 42-year-old man from Yeovil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was brought before South Somerset magistrates in custody on Friday.

He was charged with making a statement for the purposes of procuring a passport for the 13-year-old child at Yeovil on October 29 last year. It is also alleged that being a person with responsibility for the child, he took the child him out of the UK without consent at Bristol Airport on November 15.

No pleas were entered and he was ordered to stand trial at Taunton Crown Court.

No application was made for bail by Helena Suffield, defending, and the man was remanded in custody to appear back before the court at Yeovil today.