07/03/2008

Shannon 'Crying' On Day Of Disappearance

Missing West Yorkshire schoolgirl Shannon Matthews was seen crying on the day that she disappeared, according to reports.

Two boys are reported to have claimed that they saw the nine-year-old crying on February 19, the day that she vanished after failing to return to her home in Dewsbury Moor, following a school swimming trip.

One of the boys, a 12-year-old, is reported to have claimed that he saw Shannon sitting on a wall at the top of School Lane, about half a mile from her home, "crying her eyes out".

Shannon's best friend, Megan Aldridge, also revealed that another girl bullied Shannon on the day she disappeared and that she had a "fox-hole" that she would visit.

Speaking to GMTV, Megan said that Shannon was "really, really quiet" on the bus back from the swimming pool.

On Friday, police issued a new photograph of Shannon. It was taken last September at her school West Moor Junior School and can be seen here: www.westyorkshire.police.uk.

Detective Superintendent Andy Brennan said: "We want people to think back to the afternoon of Tuesday February 19 when Shannon was last seen. Were you picking up your own children from school that afternoon or were you travelling in and around Church Lane close to Heckmondwike Road? Did you see Shannon? Please get in touch with us if you did.

"Perhaps you may have seen someone in the area who may have looked out of place or who you have not seen before? Similarly, did you see any vehicles in the area that perhaps looked out of place or again that you haven't noticed there before?

"Finally, can you cast your mind back to the days that followed the news of Shannon's disappearance. Do you have a family member, partner, close associate or neighbour who appears to have been behaving out of the ordinary or who you now think was acting unusually in any way at all?"

Around 250 officers and 60 detectives are involved in the search for Shannon. Officers using sniffer dogs that are trained to find bodies have searched more than 500 homes on the route she should have taken from her school to her home in Moorside Road.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact: 01274 373737.

(KMcA/JM)


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