Mother's hope for missing daughter

The teenager called her friend to say she was lost

The mother of a teenager missing in Australia faces a second night not knowing where her daughter is.

Louise Saunders, from Kidderminster, disappeared while walking near the town of Tully in north Queensland.

Police have resumed their search for the 19-year-old after it was called off overnight.

Two emergency crews and a helicopter with heat-seeking equipment have been scouring areas of tropical forest in the search.

Liz Saunders said the police were doing their best

Louise's mother Liz Saunders said police were remaining calm.

She said: "They're very encouraging and are doing everything they can, they've been fantastic.

"They're quite calm about it because they're used to it."

Mrs Saunders said her sister, who lives in Australia, had called her a number of times to reassure her.

She said: "My sister said she was used to hearing this all the time on the news; one's got lost, one's found.

"I'm just praying Lou's not going to be any different."

Gap year

Ms Saunders, a trainee beauty therapist, was last seen walking at the summit of Mount Tyson near Tully on Tuesday morning.

The teenager called a friend to say she was lost, but her mobile phone cut out as she was speaking.

She had told her friend Jo Woodward that she would be back in the town, about 800 miles north of the state capital Brisbane, by late Tuesday afternoon.

The pair had gone to Australia in June as part of their gap year before college.