Shannon Matthews

[Zetti]

She was found today.

Article from BBC News

Missing nine-year-old schoolgirl Shannon Matthews has been found alive, three weeks after she disappeared. West Yorkshire Police confirmed the girl had been found concealed in the base of a divan bed in a house in Lidgate Gardens in Batley Carr.

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.

The young girl looked "quite calm" and officers confirmed that she was OK, the neighbours added.

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.

"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.

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

Shannon's father Leon Rose said he was "really pleased".

Shannon's aunt Amanda Hyett said the schoolgirl's mother Karen Matthews left the family home with police shortly before 1400 GMT. She has not yet been reunited with her daughter.

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.

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."

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's focus on the hunt for Shannon has always focused on the local community.

[Abi]

I saw an article about this earlier. It is such good news to here that she has been found alive and well.

[claire_louise]

It's amazing when you think about it. When a child goes missing for that length of time it's very rare for them to be found alive.

[Jess]

While it's such good news that Shannon has been found alive, it's a bit of an odd situation. She's now under an emergency police protection order and hasn't yet been reunited with her mother. Although they haven't directly said that her mother is involved in the investigation into her kidnap, surely if a child had been missing for such a long time then the first thing they'd do is reunite her with her mother? It's a little bit odd, really; but such amazing news that she's been found alive after all this time.

[Pierced Musie]

I don't like the way they are condemning the man who apparently 'abducted' her, considering a lot of the evidence suggests that she ran away to him. Is it not possible that he took her in and was afraid to tell the police because she would run off again?

It's just a little.... odd. Especially the fact that she hasn't been given back to her Mum and the bloody massive party they had last night.

[Lesley Bee]

I am really pleased that she has been found safe and well

[claire_louise]

I don't like the way they are condemning the man who apparently 'abducted' her, considering a lot of the evidence suggests that she ran away to him. Is it not possible that he took her in and was afraid to tell the police because she would run off again?

It's just a little.... odd. Especially the fact that she hasn't been given back to her Mum and the bloody massive party they had last night.

The party I can understand, as finding her alive when a positive outcome was looking so unlikely was obviously a cause for celebration. The rest...I don't know. It seems very, very strange that she hasn't been allowed to go home, and the fact that her 'abductor' is a member of her extended family only complicates matters. It seems like the police are worried that certain other members of the family may be involved in some way and don't want to take the risk of putting her back in an environment that might not be safe. But it's all just speculation at this stage. Hopefully things will become clearer and Shannon can find happiness and safety, be that with her parents or somewhere else. It's awful to even think about what she might have been through.