Tilbury: Danielle hunt goes national (From Echo)

Tilbury: Danielle hunt goes national

A nationwide search was yesterday (Wednesday) under way for missing 15-year-old Danielle Jones as her closest friend made a desperate plea for her safe return.

Detectives also released a home video of the 15-year-old schoolgirl and posted her pictures on the Essex Police website - www.essex.police.uk - as part of the desperate operation to track her down.

Inquiries were also extended to Somerset in the south west, police said, after fingertip searches of Parsonage Common in East Tilbury failed to produce any clues of Danielle's whereabouts.

Her closest friend, 14-year-old Lauren Payne, who is in the year below Danielle at St Clere's School in Stanford-le-Hope, said: "Danielle is the kind of friend that you can always trust. She will always listen to what you have to say. Please Danielle, if you're reading this we just want you back. We need to know that you're safe."

Police say Danielle, of Hayle, East Tilbury, was a shy girl who had no reason to vanish.

She disappeared after she left home to walk to catch a bus to school. A girl matching her description was seen getting into a blue Transit van, in nearby Coronation Avenue, shortly after Danielle set off last Monday morning.

A police spokeswoman said: "We are very, very concerned indeed as time goes on, bearing in mind that we have no sightings at all. People do not just disappear like that without taking any money.'' Danielle's parents Linda, 41, and Tony 40, have made an emotional plea for help in finding their daughter.

The Evening Echo has joined the hunt for Danielle Jones by a producing posters appealing for help in tracking her down. The posters, which include a photograph of Danielle, urge the public to contact police if they have seen her. The number is 01245 452207.

Home video - police have released this picture of Danielle with her pet rabbits

By Carl Eve

Reporter's e-mail: carl.eve@notes.newsquest.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.