Missing boy, 10, found safe and well after huge police search

Safe: Ben Smythe was found this afternoon after being missing for just under 24 hours

A missing ten-year-old boy was reunited with his parents yesterday after a massive police search.

It is still a mystery where Ben Smythe spent the night after he went missing on the way home from a friend's house on Sunday evening.

Police made house-to-house inquiries and searched parks and wasteland overnight, before Ben turned up safe and well yesterday afternoon at an address five miles away from his home in Bromford, Birmingham.

His family moved house a week ago and former neighbours believe he may have run off because he was upset about leaving, even though his new home was only a ten minute walk away.

Officers are now trying to piece together what Ben did in the 19 and a half hours he was missing.

Ben had been to a fish and chip shop and had been playing football with friends but went missing on the way home.

His worried parents, from Bromford, Birmingham, alerted police when he failed to come home and the West Midlands force launched a huge manhunt.

Police said he was found safe and well after turning up at a address in the Kingstanding area of Birmingham shortly after 2.30pm today.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said they were alerted after the person at the address contacted them.

She said: "It is not clear exactly where Ben has been since he went missing yesterday evening but he is safe and well and specially-trained officers will be speaking to him in due course to discover his whereabouts."

Earlier in the day West Midlands Police had said they were extremely concerned due to the child's age and vulnerability.

The case of Shannon Matthews in Dewsbury last month has ensured forces are on high-alert for any children going missing.

Shannon, nine, was eventually found 24 days after she disappeared hidden in a divan bed in a house less than a mile from her home.