This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/humber/7839502.stm
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Missing girl and man 'on ferry' | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A missing 15-year-old girl has been seen travelling on a ferry to France with a man she is believed to have met through an internet chat room. | |
| CCTV shows Laura Stainforth, who has been missing from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire since Wednesday, with 49-year-old Robert Andrew Williams. | |
| Police said Mr Williams, also known as Dave Ingram, was on bail after he was questioned over the rape of a teenager. | |
| The pair were seen on the ferry heading from Dover to Calais on Thursday. | |
| Durham Police said Mr Williams was arrested in Darlington in December over the alleged rape of a 16-year-old from West Sussex. | |
| Family appeal | |
| CCTV shows Laura and Mr Williams on the Pride of Kent ferry, which set sail from Dover at about 1700 GMT. | |
| Detectives said they were also following up many unconfirmed sightings in different areas of the UK and France. | |
| Her parents Debra and Robert have appealed for their daughter to get in touch. | Her parents Debra and Robert have appealed for their daughter to get in touch. |
| Laura your mum and dad must be going out of their minds with worry Facebook message | Laura your mum and dad must be going out of their minds with worry Facebook message |
| They said: "Please contact us as we miss you. You are not in trouble. | They said: "Please contact us as we miss you. You are not in trouble. |
| "We just want to be able to see you and hug you and try and help you. And your brother misses you too. | "We just want to be able to see you and hug you and try and help you. And your brother misses you too. |
| "Please contact us or the police, or please let us know you are well and safe." | "Please contact us or the police, or please let us know you are well and safe." |
| A group called Find Laura Stainforth has recruited more than 1,250 members on social networking site Facebook. | A group called Find Laura Stainforth has recruited more than 1,250 members on social networking site Facebook. |
| One message reads: "Laura your mum and dad must be going out of their minds with worry - if you're worried about coming home just ring and put them out of their anguish." | One message reads: "Laura your mum and dad must be going out of their minds with worry - if you're worried about coming home just ring and put them out of their anguish." |
| Det Ch Insp Sharon Fielding said: "We appreciate all the calls we are getting from members of the public and each significant piece of information is being followed up. | |
| "At this time we have conflicting information about where she is and I am keeping an open mind as to her location. | |
| Interpol liaison | |
| "Although we know she was in Dover and she was on that ferry, we do not know if she stayed in Calais, travelled further into France or Europe or returned to the UK. | |
| "We are working closely with other police forces in the UK, Interpol, the National Missing Persons Bureau, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and others." | |
| Laura is described as white, of medium build, with dark brown, shoulder length hair which was tied in a ponytail. | Laura is described as white, of medium build, with dark brown, shoulder length hair which was tied in a ponytail. |
| She was last seen wearing a fawn and cream-coloured zip-up jacket and light blue jeans and black trainers. | She was last seen wearing a fawn and cream-coloured zip-up jacket and light blue jeans and black trainers. |