The community celebrating the astonishing reappearance of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews were hopeful that her parents would return home today after the pair spent the night in a hotel.

Detectives in England are tonight trying to unravel the mystery of what happened to Shannon Matthews between her disappearance 24 days ago and her dramatic rescue.

Police in the UK searching for missing Shannon Matthews today said a report she was spotted “crying her eyes out” on the day she vanished is one of a number of possible sightings they are investigating.