Family left ‘in bits’ pleads for return of schoolgirl

David Sharp was speaking outside Tia’s grandmother’s home, where she was last seen almost a week ago.

He said: “The family, as you can imagine, are in bits.

“Everyone is trying to do their best by sticking together and keeping everything tight and supporting each other.”

He went on: “I don’t know what has happened to Tia. I don’t want anyone to think the worst has happened to Tia.”

He said he hoped she was “somewhere safe” and urged her: “Come home. There is no trouble. Walk through that door.”

He praised the “amazing” support of members of the public helping in the search.

He was speaking after Tia’s family were updated by Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola, who is leading the search.

DCI Scola spent 40 minutes with the Sharp family at their home in New Addington, near Croydon, south London.

When he came out, he said: “I’ve been inside again to see Tia’s family to offer support at this difficult time.

“We’re still desperately trying to find Tia for them. I have updated them as to the depth of the investigation.”

Scotland Yard also confirmed yesterday that they had consulted West Yorkshire Police (WYP), who investigated the kidnapping of Shannon Matthews.

They said they have liaised with WYP for their expertise in missing child cases, including the disappearance of nine-year-old Shannon, 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 carried out to claim a £50,000 reward.

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

“This case, like the Shannon Matthews case, involved the search for a missing child.

“This is a missing persons inquiry and we are putting all of our resources into finding her.

“We would like to make it clear that officers who worked on a particular missing person case in West Yorkshire are not involved in the investigation to find Tia Sharp.

“This remains a missing person inquiry and we are keeping an open mind about the circumstances of Tia’s disappearance.”

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

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 on Wednesday before returning home.

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

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

Refuse collections nearby had been suspended at the request of officers but resumed yesterday.

Tia’s mother, Natalie Sharp, 30, said she did not want to speak to reporters yesterday.

However, her partner, David Niles, 29, who left the house briefly to buy newspapers, said Mr Hazell would issue a statement later.

Yesterday afternoon, Mr Niles, again wearing a Find Tia T-shirt, said: “Just find my little girl, just find my little girl please.”

Tia’s uncle, David Sharp, later arrived at his mother’s house but did not answer reporters’ questions, saying: “Talk to the police for any information.”

More than 80 officers have joined the hunt for Tia, while the local community searched 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 was to see Tia on the estate.