Police and worried community members are continuing to search for missing schoolgirl Tia Sharp five days after she vanished without a trace.
Teams of officers spent yesterday combing woodland close to where the 12-year-old was last seen while scores of local volunteers mounted their own hunt for the youngster, who disappeared after leaving grandmother Christine Sharp's home in New Addington, south-east London, at around midday on Friday.
Earlier Tia's stepfather David Niles, 29, said the family were "in bits", and said: "Just find my little girl."
Mr Niles, wearing a Find Tia campaign T-shirt, said: "How would you feel if it was your daughter? We're in bits. The whole country has helped us and is supporting us. I haven't slept in four days. Natalie (Tia's mother) is in bits. The police have done everything."
Police have searched a local wood, Birchwood, less than a mile from Tia's grandmother's house in The Lindens. Earlier, around 100 local people gathered at the rugby club to spend the evening searching for Tia.
Club secretary Sue Randall said: "Everybody wants to help, we're just pulling together to try and find her." She said people had searched the area all evening - she was closing the clubhouse at around 10.30pm but said some people were keen to carry on: "People are still out there, I've had people come and ask me for torches but we haven't got anything like that."
Scotland Yard said the search was "very much ongoing", including physical searches and other work to try to track down the 12-year-old.
The Sun newspaper has offered a £25,000 reward for information that will lead to police finding Tia, who vanished after telling relatives she was going to the Whitgift Centre in Croydon town centre.
It was believed the last person to see her was Mrs Sharp's partner, Stuart Hazell. But Mr Niles said he was unsure about that, adding: "The last time I saw her was on Thursday morning before going to work (at the family home in Mitcham). She had a friend stay over. She was good as gold.
"I know I am not her real dad, but I have been there since day dot. I have fed her and bathed her. I just want her home."
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