Teacher held as missing Megan found

Sep 28 2012

Missing schoolgirl Megan Stammers and her teacher Jeremy Forrest have been found in France, Sussex Police have said.

The 15-year-old has been taken into protection and Forrest, 30, has been arrested, the force said.

They were found at around 12.15pm today UK time. Police would not reveal the exact location. The pair were both "safe and well", the force said.

Forrest has been arrested on suspicion of child abduction. They were found as a result of information that came after the case received media coverage in France, police said.

Forrest and Megan's families have been informed and arrangements will be made for their return to the UK, the force added. French media reported that the pair were found in Bordeaux.

The alarm was raised when Megan, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, failed to go to school a week ago and it was discovered that she had travelled with Forrest on a ferry from Dover to Calais the previous evening. They had tickets to return to the UK on Sunday, but did not use them.

Both their families made emotional appeals for their return, with Mr Forrest's father Jim, of Petts Wood, south east London, begging his son or the teenager to call or email home.

There were reported sightings of the pair in Paris, and Sussex Police received seven phone calls with information after Megan's disappearance was featured on the BBC's Crimewatch on Thursday night.

Police appeals to find the pair were translated into French but there was confusion as to how intense the search was outside the UK. It was reported that their details were not posted on Interpol's website under sections used to find missing people, and that French police were not carrying out a dedicated search for them.

However Jean-Philippe Joubert, state prosecutor for Boulogne-sur-Mer, told The Daily Telegraph: "If the couple are recognised and identified, then they will be arrested."