Police conduct underwater search for missing girl

LONDON (Reuters) - Police have carried out underwater searches in the hunt for missing nine-year-old Shannon Matthews, West Yorkshire Police said on Saturday.

Matthews was last seen at the gates of West Moor Junior School in Dewsbury in Yorkshire on Tuesday afternoon after returning from a swimming trip.

While police officers searched a local pond at the back of Dewsbury Hospital, volunteers were due to hand out leaflets at the soccer match between Yorkshire club Leeds United and Crewe later on Saturday appealing for information.

Since the investigation began police have received more than 300 calls about Matthews' disappearance and have searched more than 200 houses within a half mile radius of her home.

The underwater search followed Friday's release of CCTV footage of the nine-year-old girl taken hours before she went missing.

The footage showed Matthews wearing distinctive pink and grey "Bratz" furry boots during the swimming trip.