Missing girl search turns to internet

Danielle with one of her rabbits

Police looking for missing teenager Danielle Jones have set up a page on the internet dedicated to the search.

A home video tape of Danielle has also been released in the hope that it will provide a clue to her whereabouts.

The teenager has not been seen since leaving her home in East Tilbury in Essex on 18 June to catch a bus to school.

The detective leading the hunt for the missing schoolgirl said that hopes of finding her alive were fading the longer there was no news of her.

I am more and more worried that this will not have a happy ending

Detective Superintendent Peter Coltman

The internet page is part of Essex Police's website and contains details of Danielle, along with photographs of her.

The video shows of Danielle playing with her two pet rabbits, Maizie and Milly, in the living room of her home in April.

The tape shows the 15-year-old cradling the dark grey pets in her arms.

Police hope the two-minute tape will jog someone's memory.

The page is part of Essex Police's website

Detective Superintendent Peter Coltman said: "In school uniform she looked completely different so we are hoping to get as many images of her out as possible.

"I hope if anyone has seen her or recognises her from the clip they will now come forward."

Police will now travel to the North West and the West country to talk to friends of the missing girl.

She met some of them while on holiday with her family in France in May and others on a school field trip in the West country the week before she went missing.

Specialist teams

But Mr Coltman said it was unlikely Danielle had run away to see her friends.

"If she had run away I would have expected someone to have seen her by now.

"I think if she had gone to see a friend her best friends would know about it as she would have been excited and have told them."

Police hope the tape will jog memories

Specialist police search teams spent the first part of this week scouring a common bordering marshland near Danielle's home.

They have completed searching that part of the countryside and will decide on Wednesday where next to concentrate their efforts.

The missing youngster's best friend, Lauren Payne, 14, made an appeal on Tuesday, urging Danielle to get in touch.

'We want you back'

"Danielle is the kind of friend you can always trust. She always listens to what you have to say," said Lauren.

"Please Danielle, if you read or hear this, we want you back. We need to know you are safe."

Police describe Danielle as a shy girl and say she had no reason to disappear.

She was last seen wearing her blue school uniform and a girl matching her description was seen getting into a blue Transit van, in nearby Coronation Avenue, shortly after Danielle set off.

Danielle's mother broke down in tears

Police are not sure whether it was Danielle, or whether she got into the van willingly.

Essex Police have seized a number of vehicles as part of their investigations and received dozens of calls from members of the public but no new lines of inquiry have emerged.

Danielle's parents Linda, 41, and Tony 40, have made an emotional plea for help in finding their daughter.

Children at the teenager's school, St Clere's Secondary School in Stanford-le-Hope, have also been urged to contact police if they have any information.

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

On Monday morning Essex Police released a man from Thurrock, Essex, who they had been holding on suspicion of abduction.

The man, who is in his early 40s, was freed on police bail until 22 August.