Woodland search 'for missing teenager Georgia Williams'

Georgia Williams was last seen on Sunday night

Police are searching an area of woodland following the disappearance of teenager Georgia Williams.

The 17-year-old, from Wellington, Shropshire, was last seen in the town on Sunday. A 22-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of her murder.

Officers have taped off an area in the Brown Moss nature reserve, near Whitchurch, 17 miles from Wellington.

West Mercia Police has not confirmed whether the search is linked to Georgia's disappearance.

Superintendent Nav Malik, of West Mercia Police, told a press conference earlier: "I make it very clear that we have not found Georgia Williams at this moment in time.

"We are really, really keen to identify where she may be, her whereabouts and I urge the public to support us in trying to find out where she may be."

He added there were more than 50 detectives working on the investigation.

The 22-year-old man, from Wellington, Shropshire, had originally been arrested in Glasgow for the alleged kidnap of the teenager.

He has now been returned to Telford where he has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

At a press conference on Wednesday, police made it clear the arrested man was not Georgia's boyfriend and they were just "friends on social media".

House searched

Supt Malik said: "We still urgently want people to come forward and tell us if they have seen or had any contact with her since 19:30 BST on Sunday when she left the family home.

Police are appealing for help to track the movements of this silver Toyota Hiace van

"I would remind people that Georgia, who is white, 5ft 3ins, slim and with long, dyed, red hair, was last seen wearing a waist length black leather jacket over a white T-shirt which has a London bus motif on it.

"She was also wearing black, skinny jeans and flat, black suede slip-on shoes."

Police also asked for help in tracking a silver Toyota Hiace 300 GS van, registration number CX06 ASV, which had travelled from Wellington to Oswestry, Shropshire, before going to Rhyl, Chester, Kendal in Cumbria and then to Glasgow.

Supt Malik said: "We know that this vehicle was in the Wrexham area at around 17:00 BST on Monday and that it was heading towards the main arterial routes.

"Then, at about 22:30 BST we now know that the vehicle was at Deeside, Queensferry, Cheshire, heading north.

"I would like to stress that Georgia Williams has still not been found and achieving that is still the primary focus of our investigation."

'Bright and likeable'

Georgia's parents believed she was staying overnight with friends and reported her missing on Tuesday, when it became clear nobody had seen or heard from her.

The last text messages and calls from her mobile phone were made at about 20:00 on Sunday, police said.

A semi-detached house in Avondale Road, Wellington - where neighbours said a Jamie Reynolds lived with his parents - is being searched for a second day by forensics officers.

Garry Phillips, principal of New College Telford, where Georgia studied biology, sport and psychology, said: "We are extremely concerned regarding Georgia Williams welfare and we hope for her safe return to her family.

"She is part of our college community acting as a course representative and is a very popular student both with her fellow students and lecturers and is a bright and likeable young lady."