Shannon Matthews, the nine-year-old girl missing for more than three weeks, has been found alive, according to a series of reports.
West Yorkshire police said today they were "looking into" the reports. Shannon disappeared on her way home from a school swimming trip in Dewsbury on February 19, sparking one of the biggest investigations in the force's history.
The Yorkshire Evening Post quoted police and family members saying Shannon had been found at a house in Batley Carr, part of Dewsbury, near to the missing girl's home.
One local resident told the newspaper they had seen Shannon being taken out of the house, adding: "She is safe and well." The girl's aunt, Amanda Hyett, told the paper: "I can't believe it - what an incredible relief."
Hyett said Shannon's mother, Karen Matthews, had been taken from her home in Dewsbury Moor by a police liaison officer with her partner, Craig Meehan. It was believed the pair were being taken to see Shannon. Sky News also reported that Shannon had been found alive.
Fears had been growing for Shannon's safety given the length of time she had been missing. It is extremely rare for abducted children to be recovered alive if they are not found very soon after they are snatched.
Earlier this week, Shannon's mother said she believed her daughter was snatched by someone close to the family. Asked if she thought someone she knew was responsible, she told the BBC: "It seems that way because there's no trace of her at all. There's no trace of her swimming costume, her towel or anything."
The search for Shannon has been one of the biggest inquiries the West Yorkshire force has undertaken. As well as 300 local officers, the hunt includes more than half of the UK's specialist body search dogs.
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