Charlene Downes: Man arrested over 2003 murder of missing teen

A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a Blackpool teenager who has been missing for more than a decade.

It comes as mystery continues to surround the disappearance of Charlene Downes who vanished on November 1, 2003, shortly after kissing her mother goodbye and heading out to meet friends on Blackpool Promenade.

Charlene was just 14-years-old when she was last seen and no trace of her has ever been found.

Lancashire Police have now confirmed a 51-year-old man, who lived in the area at the time of Charlene's disappearance, is being held on suspicion of her murder.

A £100,000 reward remains on offer for information leading to the conviction of the teenager's killer or killers as part of what has become the largest and longest running investigation in the history of Lancashire Constabulary.

Last year murder squad detectives investigating the disappearance of Charlene released new images of the last day she was seen in a fresh bid to find out what happened to the teenager.

The images showed Charlene with her sister Rebecca on Bank Hey Street in Blackpool town centre at 3.25pm on the Saturday that she vanished shortly before she returned home and then left her house for the last time.

Two men were previously charged over Charlene's disappearance and joked that the youngster had "gone into kebabs" during a trial in 2007 but were acquitted after the jury were unable to reach a verdict.

Several arrests for historical sexual offences were also made in Lancashire last year but they were said to not be directly connected to Charlene's murder as the probe into the teenager's disappearance is also looking at the wider issue of child sexual exploitation in the resort.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers.org they can email: charlenedownesinvestigation@lancashire.pnn.police.uk.