Despite his previous support for the idea in the past, the father of the Malawian boy adopted by Madonna has now said that he didn’t realise he was permanently giving up his son to Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie - and if he had known, he wouldn’t have agreed to it.

Yohane Banda is claiming that the local officials didn’t explain the procedure in full to him and he thought David would only be living with Madonna during his early childhood: “I was never told that adoption means that David will no longer be my son… If I was told this, I would not have allowed the adoption. I want more clarification on the adoption.”

“I would prefer that David goes back to the orphanage where I can see him any time I want, rather than send him away for good.”

“I cannot read or write so I relied on what officials told me, that the papers said Madonna would look after the child the way the orphanage planned to educate him. What we agreed with Madonna was that she looks after my child until he finishes school and becomes independent. Then he comes back to me.”

A number of children’s rights organisations in Malawi are seeking a court order to prevent Madonna and Guy’s interim adoption agreement being made into a permanent one. Yohane’s family have previously claimed that government officials took advantage of Yohane’s lack of education to facilitate the adoption.