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More than 200 officers search for missing Dewsbury girl
MORE than 200 police officers are this afternoon involved in a major search for missing West Yorkshire schoolgirl Shannon Matthews.
Chief Superintendent Barry South today told reporters that the 200 had been deployed to support officers already working the Dewsbury beat.
The local police training school had been temporarily shut down so officers there could join the search, Chief Supt South said.
He told a press conference: "Our priority at this moment in time is locating Shannon safe and well."
The nine-year-old of Moorside Road, Dewsbury Moor, went missing on Tuesday.
Chief Supt South said the last confirmed sighting of her was when she left West Moor Junior School, in Church Lane, at 3.10pm.
He played down an earlier police statement that Shannon had been seen on playing fields near the school at 7.30pm, saying that was "one of a number of lines of inquiry".
Chief Supt South said he was keeping an open mind about the search, but that he was "extremely concerned" for Shannon's welfare.
He said: "Any missing persons inquiry is treated seriously. We are dealing with a nine-year-old girl who is extremely vulnerable.
"That is the reason we are putting so many resources into this."
The Dewsbury Moor area was swamped with police today. Large numbers of officers were carrying out house to house inquiries, the force helicopter hovered overhead, and both mounted officers and underwater search teams were seen in Crows Nest Park.
Chief Supt South declined to be drawn on whether any of Shannon's belongings had been found, or whether she had a mobile telephone with her.
He said that the girl's mother, Karen Matthews, was being comforted by police officers and other family members.
"Family members are devastated at this moment in time. They are doing all they can to support us," Chief Supt South added.
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
