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| Third night of searches for girl | Third night of searches for girl |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Teams of police officers are continuing to scour a West Yorkshire town looking for a nine-year-old girl who has been missing for three days. | Teams of police officers are continuing to scour a West Yorkshire town looking for a nine-year-old girl who has been missing for three days. |
| The last confirmed sighting of Shannon Matthews, from Moorside Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was when she left school on Tuesday. | The last confirmed sighting of Shannon Matthews, from Moorside Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was when she left school on Tuesday. |
| Her father, Leon Rose, who is estranged from the family, said the youngster had claimed she wanted to live with him. | Her father, Leon Rose, who is estranged from the family, said the youngster had claimed she wanted to live with him. |
| The youngster's family are facing a third day not knowing if she is safe. | The youngster's family are facing a third day not knowing if she is safe. |
| But detectives are treating a reported sighting of her the day after she disappeared as "significant". | But detectives are treating a reported sighting of her the day after she disappeared as "significant". |
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| See the key locations in the search | |
| Mr Rose said: "I've spoken with Karen [Shannon's mother] on Wednesday. | Mr Rose said: "I've spoken with Karen [Shannon's mother] on Wednesday. |
| "She said that she'd [Shannon] wrote on her bedroom wall that she wanted to live with her dad. | "She said that she'd [Shannon] wrote on her bedroom wall that she wanted to live with her dad. |
| "We thought that that might be something to do with why she'd run off. | "We thought that that might be something to do with why she'd run off. |
| "She knows where we live, but she doesn't know how to get here." | "She knows where we live, but she doesn't know how to get here." |
| Late on Thursday night family, friends and local residents joined the 250 police officers who were looking for the schoolgirl. | Late on Thursday night family, friends and local residents joined the 250 police officers who were looking for the schoolgirl. |
| I couldn't be more concerned - she is nine year-old girl who has never gone missing before Det Supt Andy Brennan | I couldn't be more concerned - she is nine year-old girl who has never gone missing before Det Supt Andy Brennan |
| Julie Bushby, chairman of the Moorside residents' association, said: "That is the type of neighbourhood this is and we are so grateful to everybody who has been getting involved. | Julie Bushby, chairman of the Moorside residents' association, said: "That is the type of neighbourhood this is and we are so grateful to everybody who has been getting involved. |
| "It's been absolutely fantastic." | "It's been absolutely fantastic." |
| Mrs Bushby said local shops and businesses had been handing out tea and coffee to the search teams. | Mrs Bushby said local shops and businesses had been handing out tea and coffee to the search teams. |
| Earlier Det Supt Andy Brennan, from West Yorkshire Police, said: "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." | Earlier Det Supt Andy Brennan, from West Yorkshire Police, said: "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." |
| "Under normal circumstances we would expect to have found a young person a lot sooner than this, which causes great concern." | "Under normal circumstances we would expect to have found a young person a lot sooner than this, which causes great concern." |
| Shannon's step aunt, Amanda Hyett, told the BBC that the girl's mother Karen was "distraught". | Shannon's step aunt, Amanda Hyett, told the BBC that the girl's mother Karen was "distraught". |
| "She wants her daughter back, like any other mother would do. | "She wants her daughter back, like any other mother would do. |
| "Her brother this morning was devastated. He had to go to school, obviously, because you have got to carry on as normal the best that you can." | "Her brother this morning was devastated. He had to go to school, obviously, because you have got to carry on as normal the best that you can." |
| Mr Brennan said one witness was "100% sure" that he had seen Shannon on Wednesday morning. | Mr Brennan said one witness was "100% sure" that he had seen Shannon on Wednesday morning. |
| Other sightings 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. | Other sightings 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. |
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