Maths prodigy Sufiah Yusof, who fled Oxford to escape her father, is to return to complete her degree course.

The 16-year-old has completed three years of a maths degree at St Hilda's College and is expected to return in October for her final year.

In an interview with ITV's Tonight programme, she said she was looking forward to returning to college. But she still did not want to see her father, Farooq, whose home tutorials helped her to get a place at Oxford when she was 12. After completing her end-of-year exams last June, the teenager left Oxford and travelled to Bournemouth to escape her father. Her absence sparked a nationwide police search, and when officers finally tracked her down, they discovered that she had been working as a cafe waitress.

Refusing to return to her family home in Warwick, Sufiah was looked after by social services staff and is now living with a foster family.

Elizabeth Llewellyn-Smith, principal of St Hilda's College, urged the student not to "throw away" her degree.

And a University spokesman said yesterday: "When Sufiah left last year, a place was left open for her and it was very much hoped that she would return. She would certainly be able to come back."

Despite being a maths genius, Sufiah said she was not proud of going to Oxford at such a young age.

"I compared myself with other 13-year-olds and 18-year-olds at Oxford," she added.

"They had stable homes and nice parents and control of their lives and I did not."

Sufiah's father Farooq has denied harming his daughter.