SHANNON Matthews was last night taken into care by police and social services – moments after being reunited with her relieved mother.
The nine-year-old was yesterday found hiding in a drawer of a divan bed just a mile from her home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, 24 days after she went missing.
Neil Hyett, Shannon's uncle, claimed her mother, Karen Matthews, 32, was briefly reunit
ed with her daughter at a police station, but officers then made Shannon the subject of an emergency police protection order before she could see other family members.
Last night, Shannon was in the care of social workers and will not immediately return to her home, where neighbours and friends had been celebrating her discovery with fireworks, disco lights and champagne.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: "
As part of our ongoing inquiries, and following medical checks, we will begin the process of interviewing Shannon.
"This may be a long process, but throughout this inquiry our main focus has been, and continues to be, Shannon's welfare.
"We have therefore taken the decision that, for now, it is in Shannon's best interests that she be made subject of an emergency police protection order.
"This will remain in place until we have had time to establish the full facts of what happened in the time since her disappearance."
Police arrested a 39-year-old man on suspicion of abduction at the address where Shannon was found. Last night, the man, thought to be a relative of Craig Meehan, Shannon's stepfather, was in custody at a West Yorkshire police station.
West Yorkshire Police reportedly went to the flat where Shannon was found after receiving tip-offs from a neighbour and the charity Missing People.
Residents in Lidgate Gardens said that the man in custody lived alone and "kept himself to himself".
The two police officers who visited the property earlier in the day were told a child's footsteps had been heard from the upstairs flat. They called for an emergency back-up team while keeping watch over the home. A battering ram was used to break down the door and officers burst into the house.
They immediately searched from room to room, and after hearing noises, found Shannon hidden in the base of the double bed.
Shannon had been missing since 19 February, when she was last seen at Westmoor Junior school.
Within 24 hours 250 uniformed officers and 60 detectives were involved in the search – 10 per cent of the manpower of West Yorkshire Police.
However, the investigation was beset with difficulties as officers had no clues. Witnesses, many of whom were children, were not even clear about which direction Shannon had gone after leaving the school.
As days passed with no sign of Shannon, police became increasingly convinced they would not find her alive.
Every house on her usual route home was searched and known paedophiles in the area were all visited. As is routine, Shannon's own family came under detectives' scrutiny.
Mrs Matthews has seven children by five fathers.
She lives in Moorside Road with Mr Meehan, 22, a fishmonger, and four of her children – Tony, 11, Shannon, Cameron, five and Courtney, two.
Courtney, who shares a bedroom with Shannon, is Mr Meehan's daughter. Mrs Matthews' other three children live with their fathers.
Shannon's natural father, Leon Rose, lives in Kirkheaton, near Huddersfield. He and Mrs Matthews separated more than five years ago.
Mr Rose said he feared Shannon had run away from her mother to try to find him after writing on her bedroom wall that she wanted to live with her real father.
With no lead emerging, even after a fortnight, the inquiry concentrated on Shannon's family.
Eventually, the focus on the family was so intense that Mr Meehan was forced to publicly deny rumours that he had been involved in his step-daughter's disappearance.
In a series of interviews, Mrs Matthews said she was convinced her daughter was still alive.
Last night, Mr Hyett said the family was "totally over the moon". He said: "I can't believe it. I can't wait to get her in my arms and give her a cuddle."
Mr Hyett said that he telephoned Mr Rose as soon as he heard the news and revealed how they "cried together" while they were talking.
As police try to piece together where Shannon has been for the past 24 days, psychologists warned that she may be left with emotional scars and said she would need an immense amount of "tender loving care".
Dr Lesley Perman-Kerr, a psychologist who has worked with kidnap victims for more than a decade, said: "The police's family liaison officer will be guiding the family by the hand through this uncertain time.
"When missing children return home you must keep calm and maintain a sense of normality and don't ask too many questions."
McCANNS ARE 'DELIGHTED'THE parents of missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann said the news of Shannon Matthews being found alive gave them renewed hope.
Clarence Mitchell, who speaks for the McCanns, both 39 from Rothley, Leicestershire, said: "Kate and Gerry are delighted that Shannon is alive. It proves that children can go missing for whatever reason and still be found alive.
"Until Kate and Gerry know what has happened to Madeleine, there will always be hope for them that she too will be found alive."
The Conservative leader, David Cameron, said he was "delighted" to hear that Shannon had been found alive.
Speaking to reporters at his party's spring forum in Gateshead, he said: "I just feel huge relief on behalf of Shannon and her family. So often in these cases, you wait and then you hear tragic and awful news."
Paul Tuohy, chief executive of charity Missing People, said: "This is fantastic news for Shannon's family and the local community, and will offer hope to other families who await news of a missing loved one.
"The charity has around 6,000 open missing cases and we hope that each and every one will have the same successful resolution."
