A schoolgirl who went missing has been reunited with her mother after “eight days of torture” for the family, police have said.
Lillia, 13, from Bolton, was last seen by her family on September 11, sparking a major search operation
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed the teenager had been found safe and well in the city centre on Saturday.
Officers on patrol in the city centre found her, GMP said. This came hours after the force had issued a CCTV clip of Lillia near Manchester Piccadilly station to assist the search.
The image taken on Monday morning had been the last known sighting of the girl.
Ch Supt Helen Critchley said Lillia’s mother “has worked with us throughout this investigation. She has shown incredible strength in what has been eight days of torture for her and her family”.
She added: “We have kept her updated throughout and it gives me immense pleasure that we can reunite her with her little girl.
“In what will be a truly emotional time, I would request that Lillia, her mum and her family are given the privacy and respect they deserve following an incident such as this.”
Members of the public from across the country had submitted information to police and an image of Lillia had been circulated to each on-duty officer.
Critchley said: “Thankfully, officers noticed someone that looked like her and engaged and ascertained it was Lillia.
“The role of the media cannot be understated as well, the sharing of appeals, pictures and the press conference we held with Lillia’s mum hitting TV screens has been a massive help, I cannot thank them enough.”