UPDATE: 'Missing' Bexhill girl went for late night walk

Officers, including a National Police Air Service helicopter crew, began searching the town after a member of public reported seeing a young child walking alone near to B&Q in the Ravenside Retail Park at around 3am on Tuesday morning (August 1).

As a result of the search, which continued for most of the day, police were able to identify the young girl and confirm she was safe and well. They said the girl, aged nine, had decided to go for a short late-night walk without telling anyone in her family and had returned unnoticed after around half an hour.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "The nine-year old girl has been traced as a result of our enquiries on Tuesday. She had gone out during the night for a walk and returned home half an hour later without anyone else in the house realising at the time.

"All is well and the incident closed."