Missing girl, 13, found safe after Christmas disappearance

A 13-year-old girl missing for almost a week over Christmas has been found safe, police have said.

Lyla Lake, from Basingstoke in Hampshire, had been missing since Wednesday 21 December.

Police had renewed an appeal for information on Tuesday, releasing CCTV footage of her in Reading train station from the evening she went missing.

Hours later, Hampshire Police said the teenager, who also goes by Lyla-Jane, had been “found safe”.

“Thank you to everyone who shared our appeals and contacted us with information,” the force added.

On Christmas Eve Lyla’s cousin, the Olympic high jumper Morgan Lake, had appealed for anyone who may know something to come forward.

Earlier on Tuesday, Lyla’s father Nathan made a direct appeal to his daughter to come home, saying in a video posted online: “Daddy loves you so much”.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].