A Bradford teenager whose family members were tortured and murdered by kidnappers in Iraq has made a heartfelt plea to Tony Blair and George Bush for help.

Maha Mezher has been devastated by the death of her uncle and cousin in Baghdad who were found dead just hours after being snatched.

Now the 17-year-old from Heaton has written letters to the Prime Minister and the American President demanding they do more to save the Iraqi people from the lawlessness the country has descended into.

Maha's parents left Saddam Hussain's regime in Iraq 20 years ago to come to live in Bradford, but the family still has relatives there. Last month she learned that her uncle, Haider Salim Ali, 37, and his young son Mohammed Salim Ali, ten, were being held to ransom by kidnappers who were demanding $100,000 for their release.

His family in Iraq and Bradford pulled together to raise the ransom money but before they had the chance to hand over any cash, both Maha's uncle and cousin were found dead on the outskirts of the city by Iraqi police.

The devastated widow identified her husband's bodies which had gun and stab wounds and 10-year-old Mohammed's fingers appeared to have been cut off by the captors.

Maha said her family had been devastated by the news.

She said: "They were kidnapped and killed on February 18, we found out on that Friday that they had been kidnapped and then were told the next day that they had been killed.

"I haven't had time to come to terms with it. I am still numb."

Maha had just returned from a harrowing visit to Auschwitz as part of a school trip with Challenge College in Frizinghall.

She said: "After two or three weeks I decided that I had to do something about it. Everybody sees it on the news but nobody is doing anything about it.

"People say 'I am so glad I am not in their position' but there are people who do not have the privileges that we have and I could not just sit quiet after what has happened. I do not want anyone else to feel the way that I do.

"I am sure Tony Blair will not read it but I just had to send something to say 'look this is what is happening, please just do something about it."

Today Iraq's fledging new parliament was due to hold its inaugural session. However the event would be largely ceremonial as, six weeks after elections took place, rival factions have still to agree on the formation of the coalition government.

Negotiators say they hope to reach agreement on a new government by the end of the month.

There are no official figures on deaths of Iraqi civilians since the country was liberated, but thousands are believed to have died in terrorist attacks and kidnappings.

Increasing lawlessness, particularly around Sunni-controlled areas of Baghdad, have seen insurgents reported to have joined forces with Saddam loyalists targeting Shia civilians.

Maha says she met her uncle just once - during her a trip to Iraq when she was two-years-old - but she cannot remember him.

Now she will never see him again or have the chance to meet her ten year-old nephew Mohammed.

And Maha fears she won't ever be able to visit the rest of her family in Iraq because the country is so unstable.

She said: "No words can describe how I am feeling right now, but I can no longer stay silent. I am not the only one. There are many more who think what I think. Something must be done and it must be done quickly."

Her letter has been sent to Downing Street, the White House, and to Maha's MP Marsha Singh (Labour, Bradford West.)

Mr Singh said: "I will raise her concerns with the Prime Minister. It is something that every Iraqi I speak to in Bradford is extremely concerned about and I am concerned about. If Iraq is going to become a democratic country then achieving law and order must be an important pillar of that democracy."

Nobody from the Prime Minister's Office was available for comment.