THE MUM of a 14-year-old girl who had been missing from home for more than two days has spoken of her relief at her daughter's return.

Rebecca Clare - known to her friends as Becky - called distraught mum Frances at 8.50am yesterday to say she was safe and well and on her way home.

"The main feeling is relief and I'll be able to sleep for a week now she's back safe," said an exhausted Frances.

"I should be really happy but I'm also feeling quite angry, but it's just all round relief for myself and all the family."

Newman High School pupil Becky, of Manchester Road, was last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning after spending the night with friends at Casi's nightclub on Mersey Street.

She had told her mum that she was staying with friends but instead went clubbing and left the venue with an unknown man.

She is believed to have spent the rest of the weekend in the Widnes area.

A 20-man incident room was set up by police as concerns grew for her safety, but she was spotted by an officer at about 11.30am yesterday walking towards her home.

After a tearful reunion with her daughter at Warrington police station, Frances spoke of her 56 hour nightmare.

"At first I tried to trace her by ringing around friends but then turned to police about tea-time," she said.

"It wasn't until Sunday that I really started to think that something had happened to her. Everyone has been extremely upset but now it has all turned to relief. I'm feeling quite numb though," she said.

Specially trained officers had spent the weekend at the family's home with Frances and Becky's brother Terry.

Now those officers will interview the teenager at length to unravel the mystery of the weekend.

Detective Chief Inspector John Hart said: "We did have very grave concerns but it's great news she's been found safe.

"We'll now be talking to her to find out where she has been and what she has been up to," he said.

Officers are urging the 'unknown' man to contact them on 652 222 in a bid to conclude the case.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.