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| Police probe missing girl claim | Police probe missing girl claim |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| Detectives searching for a missing nine-year-old schoolgirl are following up a possible sighting of her a day after she was reported missing. | Detectives searching for a missing nine-year-old schoolgirl are following up a possible sighting of her a day after she was reported missing. |
| Shannon Matthews, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was last seen leaving school in the town on Tuesday. | Shannon Matthews, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was last seen leaving school in the town on Tuesday. |
| Det Supt Andy Brennan said police had spoken to a witness who believed he had seen Shannon on Wednesday morning. | |
| And the senior officer also revealed that people who "could pose a risk to the public" had been interviewed. | |
| Speaking about the possible sighting Mr Brennan said: "It was an adult who was convinced that it was Shannon - so we are treating it as a significant finding," he said. | |
| He said that sighting was one of a number his team of 60 detectives were investigating. | |
| Others included one on the playing fields behind Shannon's school on Church Lane between 1830 GMT and 1930 GMT on Tuesday and another in a park at the junction of Staincliffe Road and Heckmondwike Road. | |
| I couldn't be more concerned - she is nine year-old girl who has never gone missing before Det Supt Andy Brennan | |
| Det Supt Brennan, of West Yorkshire's Homicide and Major Crimes unit, said Shannon had told friends she wanted to run away. | |
| "My teams have spoken with a number of her friends and certainly on Monday or Tuesday this week she had suggested she may not want to come home. | "My teams have spoken with a number of her friends and certainly on Monday or Tuesday this week she had suggested she may not want to come home. |
| "We have spoken to her friends and are satisfied she has made that comment. | "We have spoken to her friends and are satisfied she has made that comment. |
| "There has been no contact with family or friends we are aware of. | "There has been no contact with family or friends we are aware of. |
| "It is of great concern to me now that a nine-year-old has been missing for over 48 hours." | "It is of great concern to me now that a nine-year-old has been missing for over 48 hours." |
| Det Supt Brennan added: "I couldn't be more concerned, she is nine year-old girl who has never gone missing before. And I would have expected her to turn up by now." | |
| Police revealed that the youngster did not normally walk to and from school alone and usually met family friends before going to a breakfast club. | |
| "She is a nine-year-old girl, I would not described her as streetwise," he added. | |
| Also on Thursday morning, the nine-year-old's step aunt Amanda Hyett, who lives next door to Shannon's family, said they were still waiting for news. | |
| "We're just absolutely all shattered, we're all out looking. | "We're just absolutely all shattered, we're all out looking. |
| "We appreciate what the police are doing, they're out looking constantly. | "We appreciate what the police are doing, they're out looking constantly. |
| "We're just really wanting some news... to give us an edge... where to look next, that's all." | "We're just really wanting some news... to give us an edge... where to look next, that's all." |