The mother of an eight-year-old girl allegedly abducted after a trip to McDonald’s with her ‘babysitter’ told today of her ‘huge relief’ that she had been found safe and well.
The youngster went missing for nearly 24-hours after being taken by family friend Annmarie Lawton and a man known only as Adam to McDonald’s. The alarm was raised when they failed to return.
Police arrested both of them this morning as they shopped with the girl in the centre of Bristol.
They had taken the little girl to a McDonald’s drive-through near their home in the Bedminster area of the city at 3pm yesterday but it is claimed they failed to return her back to her mum in an hour as had been arranged.
A family friend told MailOnline: ‘The girl’s mum was absolutely sick with worry all last night, it’s every parents worst nightmare.
‘She has gone through hell over the last 24-hours or so not knowing where her daughter was, the whole family has.
A sobbing Lawton outside a shopping centre this morning being detained by police. Adam was also held
The man, thought to be named Adam, was also detained and was spotted in discussion with officers
Lawton and Adam outside a shopping centre this morning being detained and led away by police
The girl is now thought to be with officers – though police refuse to confirm whether the suspects have been arrested or not
‘I spoke to her today after she was told that she had been found safe and well. She said it was a huge relief. I’m so happy for them that they’ve got her back in time for Christmas.’
A friend of Lawton said she was the girl’s babysitter and regularly looked after the girl.
It comes after Lawton and Adam were arrested following a desperate 16-hour manhunt.
The girl was taken to McDonald’s by the pair, in Bedminster, Bristol at around 3pm yesterday.
Lawton, 29, picked the girl up from home with Adam and they were expected to return within an hour.
But the pair allegedly failed to do so, with the child’s mother reporting her missing to police at 7pm.
After a frantic search with officers treating the disappearance as an abduction, images show a sobbing Lawton and Adam being led away by police outside a busy Bristol shopping centre just after 9am this morning.
Officers were seen talking to the pair, who were carrying a plastic Sainsbury’s bag containing what looked to be children’s toys and a pink umbrella, before putting them in the back of a patrol car.
Onlookers said the girl was with Lawton and Adam and was taken to safety while the suspects were apprehended. The girl is now said to be with officers.
One witness said: ‘They were just seemingly going shopping on a Thursday morning.’
A member of the public called officers after they spotted the man and woman, along with the girl, inside Bristol’s Broadmead Shopping Centre just after 9am today.
The couple appeared to be ‘arguing’, and the schoolgirl seemed unhurt and well, sources said.
Earlier, police released CCTV images taken from East Street, Bedminster, showing the girl and the two adults stood near a metal shutter covered in graffiti eating the food bought from McDonald’s.
Hours before a missing persons report was filed, Lawton went live on Facebook, filming herself and the girl inside a house while she sang ‘It’s Not Right but It’s Okay’ by Whitney Houston with a man believed to be Adam sitting behind them on a sofa.
The two Facebook live steam videos prompted dozens of comments form users appealing for the girl to be returned to her mother.
It took police just minutes to arrive after the girl was spotted by a member of the public this morning.
A man, who witnessed the pair being taken into custody, said: ‘As I understand it, they were spotted first by a member of the public in Broadmead, then they walked to the Galleries, and it was in the Galleries that the police found them with the girl.
‘So as I understand it, she has been taken into to safety by the police. They were found in the Galleries just shopping.
‘Someone who saw them said they looked like they were arguing, and the little girl was with them.
‘They said that she seemed fine [the girl] when she was with them. She was taken away safely by police.
‘The man was walked down Union Street, and the woman was put in the back of a police car.
‘She was talking to the police. They were both quite vocal with the police. I don’t know what they were saying though.
‘The police came within minutes. It was very impressive.
‘The best news is that the little girl is safe.’
A spokesperson said: ‘Police have located the eight-year-old safe and well in Bristol this morning following an appeal to trace her.
‘A man and a woman have been arrested. Officers would like to thank everyone who contacted us or shared the appeal.’
In the Facebook Live posted hours before the abduction, Lawton tells the girl to ask viewers for eggs.
She asks how many they need, to which the girl holds up three fingers before Lawton takes her to the kitchen to show viewers ‘their cake’.
Annmarie Lawton, 29, visited Tthe girl’s house with Adam and took her to McDonald’s in Sheen Road, Bedminster, Bristol. Pictured are the three of them seemingly after visiting McDonald’s
Hours before the girl was reported missing, Lawton went live on Facebook, filming herself and the girl inside a house while she sang ‘It’s Not Right but It’s Okay’ by Whitney Houston with a man believed to be Adam sitting behind them on a sofa
A man, who witnessed the pair being taken into custody, said: ‘As I understand it, they were spotted first by a member of the public in Broadmead, then they walked to the Galleries, and it was in the Galleries that the police found them with the girl
Police said: ‘A man and a woman have been arrested. Officers would like to thank everyone who contacted us or shared the appeal’
Lawton (left) is a family friend but the man, apparently named Adam (right), is unknown to the girl’s family
Lawton started another Facebook live moments later with the girl in the bathroom, telling viewers: ‘My girl did my make up. Babysitting, she’s looking after me’.
The girl can be seen washing her face in the bathroom as Lawton asks her how old she is.
The girl responds ‘eight’ and the pair giggle as Lawton quizzes her on their birthday dates and discusses making the chocolate cake.
Friends and locals responded to the video pleading for Lawton to bring the girl home.
One wrote: ‘Do the right thing and bring her home.’
A second said: ‘You look like you really care for her so please do the right thing and take her home to her mummy where she belongs.’
While a third added: ‘This poor girl needs to go home. She looks so confused.’