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Schoolgirl found in bed base

GIRL found alive against the odds in dramatic end to one of the biggest British police inquiries since the Yorkshire Ripper manhunt.

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A NINE-year-old girl has been found alive against the odds nearly a month after she was abducted.

Police smashed their way into a home and discovered the youngster hidden in a bed base overnight.

It was an incredible ending to one of the biggest police operations Britain has ever seen.

Officers had grown increasingly concerned for Shannon Matthews safety, with one expert saying today it was "quite rare that you would find a child alive after all this time".

Man held

A 39-year-old man, believed to be related to Shannon`s stepfather, has been arrested on suspicion of abducting her.

The case that has gripped Britain came to an end with a brief police statement saying: "Shannon is currently in the care of West Yorkshire Police. Investigations are ongoing."

The youngster went missing on February 19 after going on a swimming trip in the town of Dewsbury, prompting one of the biggest investigations in the area since the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry of the late 1970s.

`She was scared`

Detectives found her during a raid on a flat in nearby Batley Carr overnight (AEDT). She was hidden in the base of a divan bed.

Neighbours said police smashed their way into the house and brought her out. She appeared "quite calm", witnesses told reporters at the scene.

"She looked OK - there didn`t seem to be any physical marks on her. You could tell she was scared, though," one unnamed resident told the Yorkshire Evening Post website.

Police raided the house after a tipoff from a close neighbour, according to an unconfirmed report on Sky News. 

Desperate search

Relatives said police had driven the girl`s mother Karen Matthews from the family home this afternoon for a reunion.

Hundreds of police, dog handlers and mountain rescue teams had joined the search for the girl.

Officers have spoken to more than 1500 motorists.

Police leading the search had spoken of their grave concern for the girl and likened the investigation to a murder inquiry.

Detective Superintendent Andy Brennan said last month: "What concerns me greatly at this point is that Shannon as a vulnerable nine-year-old girl may have fallen into the wrong hands".

Former Scotland Yard detective, Mike Hames, told Sky News today the police "always thought she was being kept away from home by someone that knows her".

"It is quite rare that you would find a child alive after all this time," he added.

Mother`s love

Karen Matthews made repeated emotional appeals for her daughter`s safe return.

On Mother`s Day, she said: "I have a special bond with Shannon and I feel sure that she is alive and will come home to her mum."

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Today`s Top Picks

Schoolgirl found in bed base

GIRL found alive against the odds in dramatic end to one of the biggest British police inquiries since the Yorkshire Ripper manhunt.

• Suited & booted: Trendy bars ban smart dress
• Outrage: Obama acts on `God Damn America` row
• Relationship: Happy days are here again for Rove

Search for more stories on this topic on Newstext, our news archive service. Click here

Also in World

• Lhasa: Police `kill` Tibetan protesters
• England: Lonely burial for 330kg young man
• Tehran: Ahmadinejad bars opponents from election
• Norway: Suspected CIA rendition flight sparks concern
• Paris: Corks pop as champagne region expands
• Alive: Missing girl hidden in bed base
• Washington: Bush yearns for `romance` of front line
• London: Persecution means Iranian gay can stay in UK

Video

Watch this Video NOW!

Extreme sports madness

WATCH some of the crazy highlights of the world-ranked Newton`s Playground sport festival.

Latest videos

• Inside Google Australia
• Hot dating tips
• Robot Chicken
• Zeta-Jones in Australia

More Video

Blogroll

Ask Bossy

My husband has had a child with another woman and I don`t know what to do.

• Fully Chic: Zac Posen talks Target collection
• Blogocracy: Shaping public opinion on crime
• Splat!: An open forum to let it all hang out
• Movie Mash: Classic teenage horror films
• Squanderlust: Is a big house really a dream?
• Jack Marx: Seven deadly sins according to me
• Tech:iPhone tarted up for Blackberry war
• Justin Herald: Generation that wants it all now

Advertisement

Love & Relationships - Find a date near you on Match.com - # 1 Online Dating site Worldwide.

 

What`s On in New Zealand. To find out What`s On this autumn visit www.newzealand.com

 

Overflowing with benefits Experience life the Platinum Way With American Express Platinum.

 

Virgin Mobile Cheap calls & text across Australia.

 

TIC TAC Taste of Music WIN the ultimate music experience 12 double passes to 12 concerts.

 

Get a higher return Earn a high 7.88% p.a.^ on a 3 month Term Deposit with HSBCPremier.

 

Want to be instantly better off? Find the best Health Insurance online now.

 

Tools

• Receive our news feed
  What is RSS?
• Receive our email newsletter
• Send us your news photos
• Send us your story tips
• News on your mobile