Sorry for the thread drift,thought this story interesting.

A couple who allegedly passed out drunk last Friday while on holiday had their children taken into care in Portugal.

Hotel staff in Vilamoura called police because the children in the would not stop crying.The children are aged one, two and six.

The parents, Eamon and Antoinette McGuckin are from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The parents believe something was added to both their drinks in a bar which made them pass out! No one else in the bar that night reported anything wrong with their drinks.
The mother said she could not understand why Portuguese authorities took the action they did against the couple.

The family had been expected to appear before a family court on Tuesday afternoon (today), but the Foreign Office said it believed they had returned home after collecting the children. They added there were no legal restrictions on them having to stay, and there was no obligation for them to be in court.The powers of the Portuguese court are only effective as long as the children were in the country, hence their hasty departure home before their court appearance this afternoon.

The British social services have been informed of the procedures which have been undertaken and asked to evaluate the need of promoting and protecting the rights of these three children.


The manager of the hotel said the couple and their three children went out for dinner on Friday. Upon their arrival back at the hotel about two hours later, Mr McGuckin passed out on a sofa in reception while Mrs McGuckin fell asleep in the bar.A staff member said the children were crying and they could not revive the parents, who were both out cold. Social services were called and dealt with the children.