Maddy McCann missing in Portugal

[DaVeyWaVey]

I know, it is wonderful news. On News 24, they've said she was found under her grandparent's bed...and they took her away from her mother, as punishment for something! Stupid people - didn't they realise that she was on the news and feared dead?!

[Siobhan]

I know, it is wonderful news. On News 24, they've said she was found under her grandparent's bed...and they took her away from her mother, as punishment for something! Stupid people - didn't they realise that she was on the news and feared dead?!

which Grandmother. cause if it on her mum's side then she knew cause she told the papers along with her son, that the stepdad was beating her up!!

[DaVeyWaVey]

There are loads of different reports. They are now saying a man was holding her in his house, and his children got taken into care a few years ago.. someone called the police after hearing a child's footsteps, which they felt was unusual, as the man lived alone.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/w...re/7296756.stm

[Perdita]

Good news, let's hope that she is ok and gets all the support she needs to get over this ordeal.

[Abigail]

Missing nine-year-old schoolgirl Shannon Matthews has been found alive, three weeks after she disappeared.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed she was found hidden in the base of a divan bed in a house in Lidgate Gardens in Batley Carr, about a mile from her home.
Neighbours said police smashed their way in and emerged carrying Shannon who was last seen leaving Westmoor Junior School in Dewsbury on 19 February.

A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of abduction.

'Very happy'

West Yorkshire Police said medical checks had been carried out on the girl and the force would "now begin the process of interviewing Shannon".

A spokesman said: "This may be a long process but throughout this enquiry our main focus has been and continues to be Shannon's welfare."

He said Shannon had been made subject of an Emergency Police Protection Order, and would remain in police care until detectives had "had time to establish the full facts of what happened in the time since her disappearance".

Neighbours said the girl looked "quite calm" as she was taken from the house and officers confirmed that she was OK.

Shannon's father Leon Rose said he was "over the moon".


During a search of the house, officers located Shannon Matthews who was found concealed in the base of a divan bed
West Yorkshire Police

"They just told me she was alive and she was well, and that's all I know at the moment, but that's good enough for the moment for me because I'm just over the moon at the minute," he said.

"Believe it or not, where she's been found, I'd actually been in that area a number of times and probably just walked straight past the house that she was in."

Shannon's uncle, Neil Hyett, said Shannon and her mother, Karen Matthews, had been reunited at Dewsbury police station.

He thanked everyone who had passed information on to the police and said the family had "never given up hope".

He added: "I can't wait to just get her home and give her a cuddle."

Earlier, a West Yorkshire Police statement said: "As part of ongoing investigations, detectives and specialist search officers attended a house at Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, Dewsbury, at 1230 GMT this afternoon.

Map of where Shannon was found

"During a search of the house, officers located Shannon Matthews who was found concealed in the base of a divan bed.

"A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of abduction at the address and is currently in custody at a West Yorkshire police station.

Lidgate Gardens where Shannon was found
Shannon was found in the base of a bed in the property

"Shannon is currently in the care of West Yorkshire Police. Investigations are ongoing."

Charlotte Thornton, a friend of Amanda Hyett, said: "I've just got a text message from Amanda. She's saying they've found her alive.

"I was one of the ones who went out and looked for her on the first night. I'm very happy they've found her."

Neighbour Christopher Heaps witnessed Shannon being brought out of the house by police.

He said: "First thing I heard was police breaking the door down and I went out to see what was going off because of the noise and then when I went out I saw the policemen carrying the young girl in their arms.

"I was stood by him and I said 'is that Shannon?' He said 'yes'.

"I saw the man being taken away and dragged down the steps and handcuffed and put into the van.

"Then the little girl was put into a car and taken away with a plain clothes policeman. She was very calm and didn't look upset."

Children returning from school to houses in Shannon's road were crying and hugging each other after hearing she had been found.

Party on estate

Callie Brown, aged eight, who is in Shannon's class, said: "We all had to go into the hall for assembly. I was crying my eyes out. I have missed her loads."

Mayor of Kirklees Jean Calvert said she was "delighted" Shannon had been found.

"It's an immense relief for the family, relatives and friends of Shannon and those who've supported the efforts to find her and have shown so much concern over what's been a very traumatic few weeks for them and the local community," she said.

About 100 local residents have been holding a celebratory party on the estate.

Earlier this week mother-of-seven Mrs Matthews, 32, said she believed Shannon had been abducted.

More than 200 officers and 60 detectives have been involved in the search, which police said amounted to 10% of West Yorkshire Police's operational strength.

The force said the operation was the biggest missing person's case it had undertaken since the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.

Officers have searched nearly 3,000 residential and commercial premises in the hunt for the schoolgirl.

The police hunt for Shannon had always focused on the local community



An emergency protection order is usually sought if the child is though to be at risk from their parents/close relatives.

[Jojo]

Its her step-fathers uncle that is being held and questioned at the moment with regards to her disappearance.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7298221.stm

[StarsOfCCTV]

Great news she's been found, but why has she been put into tempory care?

[Joanne]

She's been placed under Police Protection.

Apparently that's not unusual in a case where a family member is involved. The Police need to speak to Shannon about what has happened to her before she is able to speak about it with anyone else. Also, the Police need to establish that no other family members have been involved.

[Kim]

My mum told me it was the step dad's uncle that did it, then wasted no time in expressing her opinion that the family set it up between themselves for publicity. She's against Shannon's family because of the way they live and the amount of children the mother has.

Was so shocked but happy to hear she'd been found - I can't think of another child other than the girl that was kept in the cellar then ran away that's actually been found alive.

[Abigail]

My mum told me it was the step dad's uncle that did it, then wasted no time in expressing her opinion that the family set it up between themselves for publicity. She's against Shannon's family because of the way they live and the amount of children the mother has.

Unfortunately many people will have that opinion because of the family's socioeconomic position. I can't see that they would gain significantly from the publicity in a financial way.

If it is all a set up then social services should intervene on the behalf of the other children. The family stand to lose a heck of a lot if they planned this and the police find out.