A TEENAGER who sparked a police search after she went missing with a man is now thought to be safe.

Claire Louise Smith, 19, of Ramsey Close, Peterlee, east Durham, was reported missing after she left home on Friday and failed to return.

It was suggested she may have gone to Scarborough with a man she had recently met, possibly on the Internet.

But yesterday, it was established that, on Friday, Miss Smith visited her social worker in Sunderland with a man she described as her boy-friend, and who she had known for some time.

She is now thought to be living in the Town End Farm area of Sunderland, possibly with the man.

While police are no longer as concerned for her safety, they are still anxious for Miss Smith to contact them on 0191-586 2621