Mother reunited with missing girl

Stacey Champ and David Milner spent four nights away

Stacey Champ has been reunited with her mother after the 14-year-old ran away with a middle-aged man.

The mother and daughter met up on Monday afternoon at an undisclosed location in Kent.

Stacey disappeared from her Gillingham home on 28 August with 46-year-old David Milner.

Mr Milner was brought down to Chatham police station under police escort, Kent police said.

He will be questioned on Tuesday, a spokesman said.

Stacey's mother Angela had earlier spoken of her joy after her teenage daughter was found.

Stacey and Mr Milner spent four nights together - two posing as man and wife in a Blackpool hotel - before they were tracked down.

Angela Champ said she felt "sheer relief" and "excitement" on hearing her daughter was safe on Monday morning.

"That was one relieving phone call, after the last four or five days which have been an absolute nightmare," she said.

"You sometimes read about some stories and it doesn't always end in a happy ending. And I was hoping this wasn't going to be a case like that."

That was one relieving phone call Stacey's mother Angela

The pair were discovered in Berriedale, in Caithness in the Scottish Highlands, early on Monday morning after a member of the public recognised their car from news reports.

Mr Milner was taken to a nearby police station, and was later seen being driven out in an unmarked police car at around 1430 BST.

He is expected to be flown under police escort to Kent later on Monday.

Stacey was put aboard a flight from Inverness to Gatwick. Fellow passengers aboard the plane said that police escorted her off before they were allowed to disembark at Gatwick.

Kenny Falconer, a passer-by who helped police catch the pair by blocking their vehicle with his, told BBC News the couple were shocked to be found.

"The two of them were both fast asleep, and the first thing they knew was when police started knocking on the window."

'No drama'

Mr Milner, who looked "quite rough" and obviously had not shaved for a couple of days, did not resist when he was arrested.

"Once they woke up, they just waited to see what would happen, really. There was no drama, no excitement, they didn't try running out over the heather or anything like that."

David Milner did not resist arrest

But Stacey - who looked older than 14 - grew very tearful when police handcuffed Mr Milner and led him away, Mr Falconer said.

"She was pretty upset, she started crying as soon as she realised what was happening... I felt a bit sorry for her really, she wasn't too happy."

Stacey's school, who described the teenager as "popular and hardworking", said she would be welcomed back "as soon as she is ready".

Judy Rider, the new head of Upbury Arts College in Gillingham, said the girl and her family would get a "suitable package of support".

'Giggly and lovestruck'

Staff at the Central Hotel in Blackpool said the pair checked in as "Mr and Mrs Thomas" on Thursday, before checking out on Saturday afternoon.

THE PAIR'S MOVEMENTS 1 Gillingham - Stacey's home, from where she vanished on Thursday 2 Newbury - Reported sighting on Thursday 3 Bristol - pair's van found on Friday 4 Blackpool - Pair stayed on Thursday and Friday night and bought a car 5 Berriedale - Pair spotted by member of public early on Monday morning

They said the pair seemed like "an ordinary couple" and did not attract any attention.

A cleaner, who gave her name only as Lena, said: "I could not believe it when they said she was 14. She looked a lot older than that to me.

"She did not look like she was being held against her will or anything like that."

Another woman said she believed them when they introduced themselves as a married couple aged 22 and 37, although Stacey was "giggling" and "lovestruck".

Kent Police and other forces had been frantically tracing the couple as they moved across the country, making several public appeals for help.

Airports and ports had been alerted aid fears the pair would try to flee abroad, after more than £1,000 was withdrawn from Mr Milner's bank account.

Officers thanked the media and public - from whom 3,000 calls had been received - for their support.