HOPES were rising last night for the early release of Gillian Gibbons, the British teacher jailed in Sudan for blasphemy because her pupils named their class teddy bear Mohammed.

Last night Gibbons issued a statement to Channel 4 News from her cell, saying that she was fine. “I want people to know I’ve been well treated, and especially that I’m well fed,” she said.

“I’ve been given so many apples I feel I could set up my own stall,” she added. “The guards are constantly asking if I have everything I need.

“I know the prime minister has called my son, and I’m really grateful to everyone,” Gibbons added, thanking all her well-wishers. Downing Street confirmed that Gordon Brown had spoken to a member of her immediate family.

Gibbons said that she would be sad to leave Sudan, despite her ordeal. “The Sudanese people in general have been pleasant and very generous, and I’ve had nothing but good experiences during my four months here. If I could go back to work tomorrow then I would.”

Two of Britain’s most senior Muslim politicians were in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, waiting to meet Omar al-Bashir, the country’s president.

Lord Ahmed, the Labour peer, and Baroness Warsi, the Tory spokeswoman on community cohesion, were planning to ask him to use his presidential pardon to free Gibbons from the 15-day jail sentence imposed on Thursday. British embassy sources said the peers were aiming to have Gibbons released by today or tomorrow.

The peers, who paid for their own flights, were allowed to meet Gibbons yesterday at an undisclosed location. Earlier, British consular staff had been allowed 90 minutes with her.

Warsi said afterwards: “She was in good humour. She was telling jokes. She could eat whatever she wanted. She ordered chicken last night, and it was brought to her.”

British Muslims staged a peaceful protest outside the Sudanese embassy in London yesterday. They held teddy bears and carried placards saying: “Not in our name”.

It was in stark contrast to the demonstration in Khartoum on Friday, when a thousand protesters, some wielding swords, called for the death of Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool.

Gibbons was moved from the women’s prison where she was being held to a secret detention centre for her own safety.

Well-wishers have launched a number of “free Gillian Gibbons” campaigns on the internet. Some have asked for the Sudanese embassy to be deluged with letters, e-mails and teddy bears. The “Free Ms Gibbons” campaign had 2,500 members this weekend on Facebook, the social networking site. Among the members was Jessica Gibbons, 27, the teacher’s daughter.

Responding to a member who suggested that 40 lashes would have been fair punishment for showing a lack of respect for another culture, Jessica Gibbons wrote: “My mum does respect other cultures or she wouldn’t have wanted to work in Sudan. I’m sure you would feel differently if it was your mum.”

Gibbons’s alleged crime was to send a letter to the parents of her pupils informing them of the teddy bear’s name.

It was claimed last night that the bear was originally called Barnaby, after a geography teaching aid.

One of her seven-year-old pupils said it was his idea to change the name. “The teacher asked me what I wanted to call the teddy. I said Mohammed. I named it after my name,” he said. But a classroom assistant complained to the authorities, which led to Gibbons’s arrest.

Sudan risks a cut in aid if it does not show clemency. Over the past five years, Britain has given it more than £326m in aid.

The Foreign Office said it was trying separately to get Gibbons released. David Miliband, the foreign secretary, spoke to the acting Sudanese foreign minister yesterday and reiterated Britain’s “very strong concern” at her detention. “We are continuing to search for a swift resolution,” a spokeswoman said.

Britain’s most influential Muslim organisations have united in condemning the punishment meted out to Gibbons.

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “This case should have required only common sense to resolve. It is unfortunate the Sudanese authorities were found wanting in this most basic of qualities. They overreacted. Gillian should never have been arrested, let alone charged and convicted.”

Khurshid Ahmed, chairman of the British Muslim Forum, said: “I don’t think the charge was justified. I don’t think there was a deliberate offence given here.”

He added: “We are obviously concerned at the impact this is going to have reinforcing the stereotype of Muslims as intolerant.”

Gibbons was allowed to make one phone call on Friday to her family. Her son John, 25, said: “One of the things my mum said was, ‘I don’t want any resentment towards Muslim people.’ She’s holding up quite well. It was nice to hear her voice.”

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