Amanda police examine 'new leads'

Milly has been missing for 11 days

Potential new leads in the hunt for missing schoolgirl Amanda Dowler are being examined by an inquiry team now extended to 100 officers.

The 13-year-old, known to friends and family as Milly, vanished as she walked to her home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, on Thursday 25 March.

Twenty extra officers were put on the case at the weekend to cope with the public response generated by recent appeals for information.

Superintendent Alan Sharp of Surrey Police said: "We have over 100 officers on this inquiry and we are very pleased with the results of appeals we gave out recently."

Milly's sister Gemma wrote a letter pleading for her return

He reiterated that police believed it was unlikely that Amanda had been snatched.

The evidence suggested she had gone off with someone she knew, he said.

Mr Sharp said: "There's been nothing from potential witnesses to suggest any confirmation that someone has been struggling or that someone has got into a car or otherwise in the area that she disappeared.

"That tends to rule out and diminish that line of inquiry, as opposed to that if she did get into a car she went with someone she knew."

Search remains local

Mr Sharp said searches of the area had been temporarily called off while they examined photographs including aerial shots so they could refocus their efforts.

Mr Sharp said: "Our searches will probably remain local, the calls we have had from the members of the public have been calls that are local.

"It's proper that this investigation continues locally."

Superintendent Alan Sharp: "No reports of a struggle"

Mr Sharp said without any evidence that Amanda had been abducted they are looking into her background to see if there are any clues as to who she may have gone with.

He appealed to Amanda if she was safe and well to contact police or her family immediately.

He said: "At this time being Easter, families being reconciled up and down the country, our thoughts go to Mr and Mrs Dowler who are obviously concerned for the whereabouts of their daughter.

Sister's letter

"It seems likely that if she has met someone and gone off with someone it was with someone she knew and if this is the case I appeal to her to contact police or her parents."

During the 11 days of the investigation police have examined CCTV footage from across the area and carried out house-to-house inquiries.

Her parents have made several appeals for her return

They have also carried out a thorough search of the Dowlers' home with the consent of Amanda's parents Sally and Bob.

The couple have said they agreed to the search but did not feel comfortable with it.

On Sunday, Amanda's 16-year-old sister Gemma made an appeal to anyone who may have abducted the missing schoolgirl.

Gemma wrote: "If someone has taken Milly, please return her safely to us as I am missing her very much and I couldn't wish for a lovelier sister."