The mother of the Irish girl Amy Fitzpatrick who is missing in Spain admitted last night that she was very concerned that her daughter had not been in touch over the past week and still held out hope that her disappearance may be a "prank that has got out of hand".
Audrey Fitzpatrick and partner Dave Mahon, accompanied by a Spanish civil guard representative and the family's official spokesman, held a press conference in Mijas shortly after 200 Spanish searchers had called off the latest, and so far biggest, hunt for the 15-year-old. Amy has not been seen since January 1st. The search of a 6km radius around the family home in Riviera del Sol (Mijas) is to be resumed this morning.
"Amy has always kept in contact by phone when she has stayed away from home, which is why we are so worried this time," said Ms Fitzpatrick. The family used the press conference to put an end to speculation throughout the day that an item of clothing found during yesterday's search belonged to her daughter.
She stressed that she and Amy were "very close", despite the typical teenager arguments they had. She made an emotional plea to anyone who may be holding her to let her go and expressed her hope that her daughter would turn up at her door at any time.
Ms Fitzpatrick, who thanked the Spanish authorities for their efforts, ended by addressing her daughter directly, assuring her that if "she had any problems they would be resolved and she should not be afraid to come home". She confirmed that Amy had left her mobile phone behind at home and had no money with her on the day she disappeared.
Meanwhile, the local police have called for the media covering the case to exercise restraint and caution in their reporting.
A spokesman said that the constant speculation was unhelpful and the use of expressions such as "the area where Amy was last seen alive" should be avoided by reporters in their coverage so as not to fuel needless speculation.
He added that the case remained, for the moment, a missing person investigation and no relevant clues had been found during the search as to what might have happened to her.
Despite the official line taken by the authorities, the Spanish media continue to draw parallels with the disappearances of a number of teenage girls in the area in recent years which ended tragically.
A spokesman for the civil guard on the Costa del Sol said after the press conference that Amy's photograph had been sent to Interpol and was being circulated widely as part of the scaled-up hunt for the missing teenager.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin said officials from the Irish Embassy in Madrid had been in contact by telephone a number of times with the missing teenager's family.
Department officials in Dublin have also been in contact with Amy's father, who lives in Donaghmede on the north side of the city. A Garda spokesman said the force has no "direct involvement" in the case at this stage
"We're liaising with Interpol and Europol because she is an Irish national. And we have also appealed for anybody who believes she may be in Ireland to contact us. But we have no direct involvement."