IT is now 18 days since teenager Nida Naseer disappeared after taking out rubbish from her Newport home.

It was December 28 that she stepped out of house for what should have been a minute or two.

Since then she has not been seen or heard of since.

And as each day goes by the situation must be becoming increasingly worrying and distressing for Nida's family and her friends.

Family appeals and regular police searches have so far drawn a blank.

Officers were out searching again yesterday.

Meanwhile classmates of the teenager took to a retail park in Newport to hand out leaflets to shoppers urging anyone with information about her whereabouts to please contact police.

They are to be commended for working to keep the hunt for Nida in the public eye. It is obvious her disappearance has affected them all.

And we, like them, appeal to anyone who may have even the most insignificant piece of information to please pass it on to police.

What may not seem important at first could be the key to discovering what has happened to this bright young girl.

Nida cannot have disappeared without trace.

Somebody must have seen something which could give the vital clue to her whereabouts.

Our thoughts go out to her family who must be going through a living hell.

And we urge everyone in the area to do what they can to help find her.