Shannon Matthews: How the timeline of a hoax kidnapping unfolded 10 years ago in West Yorkshire

This is how the sad and bizarre tale of Shannon Matthews' disappearance and eventual recovery was played out... Shannon Matthews' best friend: I wanted to punch Karen over faked kidnapTUESDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2008 8.00am - Shannon sets off for a normal school day. 3.10pm - Shannon returns to school after a swimming trip with her class. This was the last public sighting of her until she was discovered at Donovan's flat. Sometime after this she gets into Donovan's Peugeot car. 4pm - Matthews goes to her neighbour Victoria Saunders's house to tell her Shannon had not come home and begins a search for her daughter. 4.10pm: Matthews calls Shannon's school asking if the bus has returned from the swimming trip. 6.48pm - Matthews makes a 999 call to the police. Officers arrive within minutes. Last year, the BBC made a drama about the case - The MoorsideWEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20 More than 200 police officers join local people in an overnight search for Shannon in sub-zero conditions. By 7am West Yorkshire Police believes the situation is so serious it brings in its Homicide and Major Enquiry Team to run the investigation under Detective Superintendent Andy Brennan. The force launches a public appeal for help to find Shannon. Matthews returns home and makes an emotional appeal on her doorstep. THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21 Mr Brennan says 250 uniformed officers plus 60 detectives were looking for Shannon and reveals a number of possible sightings of her on the day she vanished. Local people hand out posters in Leeds appealing for help. Donovan's neighbour Carol Battye speaks to a woman who asked what time Donovan would be home. She later identified this person as Matthews after an ID parade. FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22 Shannon's father Leon Rose says his daughter had spoken about wanting to live with him before she went missing. Police release CCTV footage of Shannon leaving the leisure centre on day she vanished. SUNDAY FEBRUARY 24 Prayers are said for Shannon at a local church and the parents of Madeleine McCann post a message of support on their blog. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26 Mr Brennan concedes Shannon "may have fallen into the wrong hands". Family and neighbours stage a vigil to mark a week since she disappeared. FRIDAY FEBRUARY 29 Shannon's best friend Megan Aldridge, nine, gives an interview saying she is "really, really sad" and says she saw her walking the wrong way from school. SATURDAY MARCH 1 Matthews issues a Mother's Day message to Shannon and The Sun offers a 20,000 reward. MONDAY MARCH 3 Matthews makes an emotional appeal at a police press conference clutching Shannon's "Love Teddy". She says she can't trust those close to her. TUESDAY MARCH 4 A further police appeal reveals detectives still have not found Shannon's swimming kit and officers are planning to search 3,000 local homes. Local vigil to mark second week since Shannon vanished. SUNDAY MARCH 9 Shannon's grandparents June and Gordon Matthews give a detailed interview making a range of allegations. TUESDAY MARCH 12 Police say they are using 16 out of the UK's 27 "victim recovery dogs" - or body dogs - in the operation and it is the biggest West Yorkshire Police investigation since the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry. The Sun increases its reward to 50,000. FRIDAY MARCH 14 12.45pm - Detective Constable Paul Kettlewell and Detective Constable Nick Townsend call at Donovan's flat in Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, and get no response despite neighbours saying he is in. They call for back-up from the Operation Support Unit. 1.20pm - When the extra officers arrive, they smash their way into the flat and find Shannon 24 days (23 days, 18 hours and 22 minutes) after Matthews's 999 call. She is found hidden in a bed alongside Donovan who was arrested after a struggle. 1.34pm - Donovan tells Pc Matthew Troake "Get Karen down here, we've got a plan" in the police van after his arrest. 2.25pm - Donovan is "booked in" at Halifax police station. A huge celebration begins in Dewsbury Moor. Leon Rose said being reunited with his daughter would be like "winning the lottery". MONDAY MARCH 17 West Yorkshire Police chief constable Sir Norman Bettison rebuffs criticisms that Shannon should have been found earlier and praises Det Con Kettlewell and Det Con Townsend. Donovan is charged with kidnap and false imprisonment. TUESDAY MARCH 18 Matthews is interviewed under caution by detectives and denies any involvement in her daughter's disappearance. She dismisses Donovan's accusations against her. Donovan appears before magistrates in Dewsbury. WEDNESDAY MARCH 19 Matthews holds a tree planting ceremony in the garden at Moorside Road to celebrate Shannon being found. THURSDAY MARCH 20 Channel 4 broadcasts a documentary featuring five days in the lives of Matthews and Meehan while Shannon was missing. SUNDAY APRIL 6 Prison confirms Donovan tried to kill himself in Leeds Prison. Matthews is arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice by Detective Constable Christine Freeman after Matthews admits she knew where Shannon was all along, during a car journey. TUESDAY APRIL 8 Matthews is charged with perverting the course of justice and child neglect. WEDNESDAY APRIL 9 Matthews makes her first court appearance at Dewsbury Magistrates' Court. After this she tells a security officer Shannon's disappearance was planned by Meehan and other members of his family. THURSDAY APRIL 17 Matthews is interviewed again by detectives. She produces a prepared statement in which she again blames Meehan for Shannon's disappearance. TUESDAY NOVEMBER 11 A jury is sworn in to try Matthews and Donovan on charges of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13 Donovan is attacked by another inmate at Leeds Prison and suffers a fractured jaw. THURSDAY DECEMBER 4 Matthews and Donovan found guilty of all charges. 10 years on: Where is Shannon Matthews now?