Shannon Matthews: The Mirror’s Lucy Thorton Breaks The Story Of The Story

SHANNON WATCH: – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Shannon Matthews

DAILY MIRROR: “I’ve shared the despair and relief, says the Mirror’s Lucy Thornton”

Lucy Thornton is investigating the disappearance of Shannon Mathews “huddled round the mobile phone in Dewsbury Moor community centre’s small kitchen”. With her are the Matthews family.

Julie Bushby, a close friend of Shannon’s parents and chairman of the residents association who has been helping search for her, turned to me and shouted: “We think they’ve found her. Can we check it’s true? Please – we need to know.

“That was a friend of mine from Batley college. They think they’ve found her.”

The Daily Mirror, first for reported reported news…

I sat with Karen Matthews’ as she struggled to put her anguish into words. Her tears told the true story.

No need for words…

As the news spread yesterday Salem, 43, a popular local man, nicknamed “teddy bear” wept hysterically in the street.He lost his job because he was helping in the search. Shannon’s aunt Amanda Hyett went sprinting up the hill desperate for the news to be confirmed. She said: “I just thought ‘Oh God please let it be true’.”

I was there…