Man held over missing girl

Danielle Jones has been missing since Monday

The parents of a 15-year-old girl missing for a week have made an emotional plea for her return.

Police have arrested a man in connection with the disappearance of Danielle Jones who is from East Tilbury, Essex.

She was last seen by her family at 0800BST on Monday when she left home to catch the bus to school in Stanford-le-Hope.

Danielle's mother broke down in tears

Breaking down into tears, Danielle's mother, Linda, begged for her daughter's safe return.

Speaking at Grays Police Station Mrs Jones, 40, said: "For God's sake come home. I'm so desperate to get her back.

"She went to school perfectly happy ... there is no reason why she would have run away."

Both parents stressed that their daughter was a "normal" girl who had not had any recent family arguments or problems at school.

A man in his early 40s from Thurrock, south Essex, has been held on suspicion of abduction.

Van 'sighting'

A girl matching Danielle's description was seen getting into a blue Transit-style van along part of her route to the bus stop.

It is not known if the girl who got into the vehicle was Danielle, or if she got in willingly.

She went to school perfectly happy ... there is no reason why she would have run away

Linda Jones
Missing girl's mother

Mrs Jones said her daughter had just returned from a school field trip to Somerset and would have been keen to get to school to talk about the trip.

She said: "Danielle is a typical 15-year-old girl who had no worries and I can't believe she hasn't made contact.

"She is just a normal happy girl."

Danielle went missing just wearing her blue school uniform with her school things, a packed lunch and very little money.

Detective Superintendent Peter Coltman, of Essex Police, who is leading the investigation, said: "She hasn't previously gone missing and isn't worldly-wise.

Text messages

"She's quite shy and lacking in self-confidence.

"As a result we are quite alarmed that she has been missing for this length of time."

Friends have tried to contact Danielle by text messages to her mobile phone but she has not responded.

Mr Coltman added: "Her school is as amazed and mystified as to why she went missing as everybody else."

Her walk from her home to the bus stop should take just five minutes, and she had been seen walking some of the way by other school pupils, Mr Coltman added.

Danielle - who lives with her parents and younger brother - is 5ft 7in tall, slim, with blue eyes and long blonde hair and a brace on her teeth.