LITTLE Charley-Jo Stagg happily played dressing up in a charity shop in Marlborough unaware that a police search including the force helicopter was taking place for her.

The three-year-old, who had disappeared while shopping with her mother Dawn, heard the helicopter but had no idea why it was flying low over the High Street at lunchtime last Thursday.

She was playing quite happily in the Prospect Hospice charity shop where manager Charley Rich knows Charley-Jo because Mrs Stagg sometimes puts in a couple of hours voluntary work there.

Mrs Rich was unable to get a reply at the Stagg family home in Southview Place or at Marlborough Police Station, because all the officers were out looking for the toddler.

However, when Mrs Rich heard the helicopter she guessed it was searching for Charley-Jo and she managed to get a message to the police to say the youngster was safe and well.

There were kisses and cuddles all round when Mrs Stagg was reunited with Charley-Jo who, by that time, had started to become tearful.

For half an hour Mrs Stagg, who has three older children, had experienced every mother's worst fear that their child might have been abducted.

Mrs Stagg had been shopping in the Somerfield supermarket with her daughter who, she said, often skips into the next aisle or visits the sweet section until her mother catches up with her.

She said panic set in when she could not find her daughter in the shop.

"When the Somerfield staff couldn't find her that was when I thought that somebody must have taken her," said Mrs Stagg.

"We asked up and down the street but nobody had seen her so by that stage I was beginning to fear the worst."

All the time Charley-Jo was unaware of the drama and was playing at dressing up in the charity shop.

After half an hour Sgt Martyn Sweett, who was leading the search on the ground, was able to give Mrs Stagg the good news that Charley-Jo was safe.

Mrs Stagg said: "We had lots of kisses and cuddles but I don't think she knows what a panic she caused."