POLICE have released CCTV footage of a teenage girl whose disappearance is now being treated as suspected child abduction.

Avon and Somerset Police have been investigating the disappearance of Maddie Thomas, who was last spotted on Tuesday, April 26.

The 15-year-old vanished from the Southmead area of Bristol, and while police were initially treating her disappearance as a missing persons case, they are now treating the incident as a child abduction.

A force spokesman has said that they “believe she is likely to be with a man”.

While she is known to have links to the South Wales area, at this stage, police believe that she “could be anywhere in the country”.

As part of their efforts to secure the public’s help in finding Maddie, Avon and Somerset Police has released CCTV footage of the last known sighting of the teen.

Despite the time stamp on the video reading 1.34pm, it is understood that it was actually captured at 2.34pm on April 26.

It shows a figure walking at the top of the screen – and police believe this to be Maddie, who also goes by the name Madison.

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Detective Inspector Laura Miller of Avon and Somerset Police said: “We are no longer investigating Maddie’s disappearance as a missing person case but as a child abduction.

“When Maddie has previously gone missing she has been found in the company of adult men and it is mainly due to this history that we believe she is likely to currently be with someone.

“Maddie is a child in foster care, no one has permission to keep her from her carers. She is vulnerable and at risk of being taken advantage of.

“We’re really concerned about her safety and have a dedicated team working extremely hard to locate her.

“No one has seen or heard from Maddie for 15 days – since she saw a relative on April 26 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.

“We’re asking anyone who sees Maddie to call 999 immediately and anyone who speaks to her or sees her online to call 101.

“Maddie – if you see this please contact us if you can to let us know you’re safe. Everyone is worried about you.”

Anyone with information should call the police, and give the call-handler reference number 5222098703.

Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555111.