West End star's Amanda appeal

Actor Jonathan 'feels affinity' with Amanda's family

My Fair Lady actor Jonathan Pryce has appealed for the safe return of missing schoolgirl Amanda Dowler.

The 13-year-old - known as Milly - had long wanted to see the West End musical in which he stars and had tickets for Monday night's performance.

But her parents have heard nothing from her since she went missing on 28 March.

The actor's appeal came as police officers resumed their search after a 48-hour break to assess information already gathered.

Mr Pryce said: "I'm a father, my daughter is 12, she's a little younger than Milly and when I saw her photograph it just made me think of my daughter."

There has been no sign of Amanda for 11 days

Mr Pryce, who plays Professor Higgins in the show, said: "It is quite extraordinary, from when I first heard she had gone missing I felt a strong and strange affinity to the situation."

He added he could only too easily imagine the anguish her parents must feel.

"But I also felt that on her return, when and if and I hope she does return, the sense of joy and certainly the sense of forgiveness they'll feel when she comes back."

Vanished

Amanda vanished as she walked to her home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

The specialist police teams who have resumed their search for her are concentrating on parts of the route that Amanda is thought to have taken while walking home on Thursday, 25 March.

They will be working in Rydens Road, Walton Park and the area up to Hersham railway station.

Milly's sister wrote a letter pleading for her return

They are looking, in particular, for any of the schoolgirl's property.

She was carrying a beige rucksack, a white plastic purse with a heart in the top right hand corner, a pencil case and a Nokia 3210 silver mobile phone with a blue back with the name "Milly" on it.

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."

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.

Actor's plea

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

Officers have been looking for clues

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

Their other daughter, 16-year-old sister Gemma, made an appeal on Sunday to anyone who may have abducted her sister.

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."