A family have expressed their relief this afternoon following the safe return of a 15-year-old, who was missing from Ashford for a week.

Courtney Bicker's family say she left the Towers School in Faversham Road last Friday during fourth period and had not been heard from since.

Her last activity on Facebook revealed she was in the Brookfield area on Friday afternoon.

Her phone had been off for the last seven days.

Her family reported Courtney, from Kennington, missing to the police and posted fliers in a bid to find her.

This afternoon she was found and revealed she had been staying with a friend.

Her stepsister Claire Smith told KentOnline: "We are so relieved."