A 15-YEAR-old girl missing from her foster home for more than a week was today found safe and well.

Charlene Gruber sparked a police hunt when she vanished from her home in Willow Mead at Leybourne, near West Malling, at 4pm on November 20.

The search ended at about 4am today when police collected the teenager from an address in Ashford. They declined to give any further details but confirmed that Charlene was safe and well and had been returned to the foster home.

Her mother, Linda Gruber, from Maidstone, said her daughter had run away before but had always come back within a couple of days. She also believes her daughther had no idea a search had been launched.

She said: "She contacted one of her friends at 4am and we got a phone call shortly after that. I do not believe she even realised that anyone had been looking for her. It's the result I've been looking for - it's been the worst week of my life."

Earlier in the week Ms Gruber had made a desperate appeal for anyone who may have seen her daughter to come forward.