The Home Secretary said the suspected abduction of an eight-year-old Bristol girl was "incredibly harrowing".
Speaking on Good Morning Britain today (Thursday, December 17) before she was found, Priti Patel commented on the urgent police search for Bedminster girl Tiolah.
UPDATE: Tiolah has now been found safe and well and two people have been arrested. The latest information can be found here
Also known as Tillie, the little girl left her Bedminster home shortly after 3pm yesterday afternoon with a family friend and another man.
They took her to McDonald's on Sheene Road and were due to return her home within an hour, but did not.
Her mum reported her missing at 7pm and police were treating her disappearance as a suspected abduction.
Speaking to hosts Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard this morning, Priti Patel said: "It's terribly distressing - I'd urge anybody with any information to contact police."
She added that it must be "incredibly harrowing" for her family.
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Avon and Somerset Police issued an appeal to identify the man and asked anyone who recognised him to call 101.
The force stressed that there was no suggestion the little girl has been harmed and that there could be a "reasonable explanation" that they did not bring her home promptly.
She has now been found safe and well and two people have been arrested.
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