Shannon reward increased to £50,000

12 April 2012

The family of missing nine-year-old Shannon Matthews has welcomed a national newspaper's increased reward in the hope of a breakthrough in the search for her.

Shannon's father Leon Rose, 29, told The Sun he wanted everyone in Britain "looking for our Little Princess".

The newspaper has more than doubled its previous offer of £20,000 - to £50,000.

Mr Rose told the newspaper: "No-one can imagine the agonies we are going through. She is a wonderful daughter and we need her home. We are desperate to have her back and we thank The Sun for helping."

Shannon's mother Karen Matthews, 32, and stepfather Craig Meehan, 22, were said by the newspaper to be "really thankful".

Mr Meehan has denied any involvement in his stepdaughter's disappearance. He said he had "never laid a finger on her", insisting he and Shannon had a "brilliant" relationship. He previously told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I've never hit Karen or any of the children. We play about, as you do, but have a brilliant relationship. Anyone around here will tell you I love these kids."

There have been no confirmed sightings of Shannon since she left Westmoor Junior School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, at 3.10pm on February 19, following a school swimming trip.

Meanwhile, police teams looking for Shannon stressed there was no let up in the operation with almost half of the UK specialist search dogs now involved.

Chief Inspector Graham Armitage of West Yorkshire Police, who is in charge of the search part of the hunt for Shannon, said 16 of the UK's 27 specialist "victim recovery dogs" - or body dogs - were now being used. He said handlers were working 14 hour days to maintain the intensity of the search.

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