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Increased reward in Shannon hunt Shannon case 'as big as Ripper'
(about 1 hour later)
A reward has been increased by a national newspaper in the search for missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews. More than half of the UK's specialist search dogs are involved in the hunt for missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews, police have said.
It is three weeks to the day since the nine-year-old was last seen leaving Westmoor Junior School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. It is three weeks to the day since the nine-year-old was last seen leaving Westmoor Junior School in Dewsbury.
The Sun has more than doubled its previous offer of £20,000 to £50,000 in the hope of a breakthrough. West Yorkshire Police said the operation to find her was the biggest inquiry it had undertaken since the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.
A sponsored walk is due to take place in the town later to raise money to help in the search for the youngster. A national newspaper is offering a £50,000 reward for information.
Shannon's second cousin Vicky Saunders has said she fears the schoolgirl has been abducted. Sponsored walk
Ms Saunders said Shannon did not like either the cold or the dark and would not have stayed out in the open. The Sun has more than doubled its previous offer of £20,000 in the hope of a breakthrough.
A huge search by police officers has failed to find any trace of her. A huge search by police officers has failed to find any trace of Shannon.
'Wrong hands' Ch Insp Graham Armitage, who is in charge of the search teams, said 16 of the UK's specialist dogs trained to find blood and human remains were now being used.
Police teams have searched 500 houses in the area around Dewsbury Moor and specialist sniffer dogs trained to find blood and human remains have been brought in from other forces. He said the dog teams had come from as far away as Hampshire and Glasgow.
A police spokesman said on Monday: "Our extensive inquiries in this case are continuing." He said handlers were working 14-hour days to maintain the intensity of the search.
Previously, the officer leading the inquiry into Shannon's disappearance Det Supt Andy Brennan had said: "What concerns me greatly is that Shannon, as a vulnerable nine-year-old girl, may have fallen into the wrong hands." Mr Armitage said the case was one of the biggest missing person inquiries Britain has ever seen.
Mr Brennan also said that detectives were "not excluding any possibility" as to what may have happened to Shannon. A sponsored walk is due to take place in Dewsbury later to raise money to help in the search for the youngster.