Missing Teen Found Safe After Eight-Day Search

A 13-year-old girl named Lillia, who had been missing for eight days, has been found safe and well in Manchester city center. Greater Manchester Police confirmed the teenager's safe return on Saturday, stating that her family has been notified.

Lillia was reported missing by her family on September 11 after she was last seen at a city bus station. Her mother, Jessica, had made a public appeal for her daughter's return, expressing her heartbreak over the disappearance.

Greater Manchester Police released details of Lillia's last known movements. She was last seen at Manchester Piccadilly bus station at 10:36 a.m. on Monday, September 14. CCTV footage showed her wearing a black zip-up hooded top, dark trousers, and a black Nike backpack. She is believed to have boarded the number 36 bus in Salford and alighted at Piccadilly station. Previously, she was sighted at the Trafford Centre shopping complex around 1:50 p.m. on Saturday, September 13, wearing light blue baggy jeans and boarding the 247 bus towards Altrincham. Another sighting placed her at a McDonald's on Market Street in the city center around 8:20 p.m. on Sunday, September 13.

Lillia is described as white, slim, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall, with light brown hair and wearing glasses. Her aunt, Nina, had shared on social media that Lillia had no phone, limited money, and no supplies other than her backpack, adding to the family's distress. The family stated they had no idea what might have caused Lillia to go missing.

Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley of Greater Manchester Police thanked the public and media for their support during the search. Officers had been reviewing hours of CCTV footage and exploring all avenues to locate Lillia. The police had kept an open mind about the possibility that she might have traveled outside the Greater Manchester area.