The mother of Shannon Matthews has been charged in connection with the nine-year-old's disappearance.

Karen Matthews, 32, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury Moor, faces charges of child neglect and perverting the course of justice.

Shannon vanished on 19 February and was found 24 days later after one of the largest missing person hunt's West Yorkshire Police had ever conducted.

Ms Matthews will appear before Dewsbury magistrates on Wednesday.

Peter Mann, spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: "We have carefully considered all of the evidence in Oscar-winning writer Mann dies ...
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"We will continue to keep this case under review."

Mr Mann said despite huge interest in the events surrounding Shannon Matthews, Ms Matthews was entitled to a fair trial.

Michael Donovan, 39, of Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, is accused of abducting Shannon.

He faces charges of kidnap and false imprisonment and a provisional trial date for him has been set for 11 November.

(BBC)

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