Police find missing 15-year-old Madison as three men arrested on suspicion of child abduction

Police find missing 15-year-old Madison as three men arrested on suspicion of child abduction
12 Maddie Found
Aden-Jay Wood

By Aden-Jay Wood


Published: 12/05/2022

- 14:56

Updated: 12/05/2022

- 16:20

Madison, known as Maddie, disappeared from her foster home in Southmead, Bristol, on the afternoon of April 26

Police hunting for a 15-year-old girl missing for over two weeks have announced she has been found.

Madison Thomas, known as Maddie, disappeared from her foster home in Southmead, Bristol, on the afternoon of April 26.


On Wednesday, Avon and Somerset Police said officers were treating the incident as child abduction rather than a missing persons case.

It said at 12.45pm on Thursday that Maddie had been found at an address in Bristol, and three men at the property have been arrested on suspicion of child abduction.

Detective Inspector Laura Miller said: “We’re delighted to confirm Maddie has been found.

Madison Thomas
Madison Thomas
Avon and Somerset Police

Police say three men have been arrested on suspicion of child abduction
Police say three men have been arrested on suspicion of child abduction
Peter Byrne

“Three men are in police custody and will soon be questioned by officers.

“We’re extremely grateful for all the support the public gave us in our search for Maddie and would like to reassure them she is now being provided with all the care and support she needs.

“We appreciate there is significant interest in this case and I’d ask people not to speculate and to think about the impact it may have on Maddie and her loved ones.”

Police had previously issued an issued appeal to find the missing teenager.

Ms Miller said on Wednesday: “No one has seen or heard from Maddie for 15 days – since she saw a relative on 26 April when she said she was going to the shop.

“The circumstances of her disappearance are deeply worrying for us; her family and her carers.

“We have a number of lines of enquiry and while we’ve had great deal of help from the public to date for which we’re incredibly grateful, we still need more.

“Officers have carried out CCTV enquiries in the Southmead area where Maddie was last seen and posters have also been handed out to local residents by officers going house to house.

“But Maddie could be anywhere in the country and so we really need our appeal to be shared and reported on as widely as possible."

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