Shannon Matthews police drafted into hunt for Tia

Tia, 12, has never run away before but vanished without a trace on Friday afternoon after telling relatives she was going shopping at the Whitgift Centre in Croydon.

Officers from West Yorkshire Police are now involved in the search for Tia.

Scotland Yard said they have been drafted in for their expertise in kidnap cases, in particular the disappearance of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews, who was kidnapped by her mother and her partner’s uncle in February 2008.

Karen Matthews and her accomplice Michael Donovan, from Dewsbury, were convicted in December 2008 of her kidnap, which they committed in a plan to claim £50,000 in reward money.

A police spokesman said: “As is routine we liase with all forces that have dealt with similar cases.

“This case is like the Shannon Matthews case. This is a missing persons case and we are putting all our resources into finding her.”

Tia is thought to have been last seen at the house where her grandmother Christine Sharp, 46, lives with partner Stuart Hazell, 37, at The Lindens in New Addington, south-east London.

Mr Hazell, thought to be one of the last people to see Tia, was questioned by police as a witness for more than two hours yesterday before returning home.

Matthews, 33, conspired with Donovan, 40, to keep her daughter drugged and imprisoned for 24 days.

In January 2009, they were both sentenced to eight years in jail but have since been released.

This morning, police searched Tia’s grandmother’s bins and others around the estate, using sticks to scour through rubbish.

Tia’s mother, Natalie Sharp, 30, said she did not want to speak to reporters this morning but her partner, David Niles, 29, who left the house briefly to buy newspapers, said Mr Hazell would be giving a statement later.

Refuse collections in The Lindens had been suspended at the request of officers but resumed this morning.

More than 80 officers have joined the hunt for Tia, while members of the local community have staged their own searches in the area where she vanished.

Scotland Yard has received more than 300 calls and 60 reported sightings of Tia, including a member of the public who came forward saying they saw her leaving her grandmother’s house at about noon on Friday.

Metropolitan Police area commander Neil Basu said police could not be “absolutely sure” who the last person to see Tia on the estate was.

He stressed the investigation remains a missing persons inquiry, with no suspects.

“I am looking to find Tia safe and well,” he added.

Olympics resources have been redirected to the search which involves around 40 detectives and 40 specialist search officers.

Mr Basu said police have collected more than 800 hours of CCTV footage from buses and trams, and viewed more than 120 hours of the material.

Searches have covered a 500-metre radius around Tia’s grandmother’s house, including woodland, garages, lock-ups and a school.

Mr Basu said he did not feel the schoolgirl would have left the area and the search was focused on the neighbourhood and Croydon, where Tia was heading to.

The local community has rallied to help search for the missing 12-year-old, donning Find Tia T-shirts and handing out leaflets to passing motorists.

A candle is burning outside Tia’s grandmother’s house, which was searched by a police dog yesterday.

Candles and tealights have been left at a makeshift vigil at a bus stop nearby, along with hand-written messages asking for the schoolgirl to be brought home.

The Sun newspaper has offered a £25,000 reward for information that will lead to police finding Tia.

Phillip Wheatley, her headteacher at Raynes Park High School in Merton, described her as a friendly young person who is well-liked by staff and students and enjoyed a successful first year at the school.

He said: “Our thoughts are with Tia and her family at this time.

“I would urge anyone who thinks they may have seen Tia, or who has any information on Tia’s whereabouts, to contact the police immediately.”