Three women bailed in Shannon case

Detectives bailed three women on Thursday after they were arrested in connection with the disappearance of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews, police said.

The women, aged 25, 29 and 49, had been held on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, West Yorkshire Police said in a statement.

Two of the women have been arrested before by officers investigating the nine-year-old's alleged abduction. The three women were later bailed, pending further inquiries.

Shannon Matthews disappeared after a school swimming trip in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in February, sparking a massive police hunt.

Her mother Karen Matthews, 32, appeared before Dewsbury magistrates on Wednesday charged with perverting the course of justice and child neglect.

Officers in Dewsbury have handed out leaflets urging people to show restraint after reports said residents were angry about the family's alleged role in the case.

The windows and doors of the girl's family home have now been boarded up while police stand outside.

The leaflets said: "It is important that the community does not jump to any conclusions about people who may be involved in this inquiry.

"Please do not take the law into your own hands and leave the police to do their job."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said there had been no specific threats and that the leaflets were a precautionary measure.

Shannon was found safe and well in the base of a bed about a mile from her home 24 days later.

Her mother was arrested on Sunday, becoming the fourth member of the girl's extended family to be held in connection with her disappearance.

Karen Matthews' partner Craig Meehan, 22, has been remanded in custody on charges of possessing indecent images of children.

Michael Donovan, the 39-year-old uncle of Meehan, has been charged with abduction and imprisonment in the case.