SHANNON MATTHEWS 9 - Dewsbury, Yorkshire (UK) - 19/02/08

KARENJANE

Merly, what does the letter from West Yorkshire police say?

When I click on the letter it just shows blank on my screen.

PAM SUPPORTFROMIRELAND

Hi KJ, I'll let Merly fully show letter, needless to say, they are well appreciative of our kind words of thanks and it will be passed on to the team involved.

Great.

KARENJANE

Ok, thanks Pam.

It's good to see the police get the recognition they deserve. So many are quick to criticise and slow to praise.

Thanks to Merly for writing the letter.

CRYS

I can't see letter either!

KARENJANE

crys wrote:I can't see letter either!

Looks like we'll have to wait for Merly.

Or if someone who CAN see it could post it that would be great.
After all, Merly wouldn't have posted it if she didn't want us to see it!! :lol:

TEZZA

I don't think any of us can see it.
I'm waiting eagerly to read the words myself.

I know that merly very much wanted to share the letter with you all and took the trouble to scan it. Not sure why it isn't showing but I have also alerted her.

PAM SUPPORTFROMIRELAND

Hi all,

The imageshack scan of letter I can see and read. Tezza, would it be ok if I copied and pasted it?

KARENJANE

pam supportfromireland wrote:Hi all,

The imageshack scan of letter I can see and read. Tezza, would it be ok if I copied and pasted it?

Hi Pam, I'm sure it would be ok or Merly wouldn't have posted it.

:-D

PAM SUPPORTFROMIRELAND

Ok not sure if it'll work and of course this message can be deleted once all can see the scan of letter as is the preferential option.

Agghh! It didn't work which I guessed it might not. Typing out whole reply might take a long while.

PAM SUPPORTFROMIRELAND

West Yorksire Police Force Letter Head

18th March 2008

The Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison has asked me to respond on his behalf to your kind letter expressing support for the Police investigation into the case of nine year old Shannon Matthews.

You may be aware that the scale of this investigation is unprecedented, some three thousand properties were searched and over six thousand people were spoken to over the course of the investigation.

As a force we were delighted to find Shannon alive and well. The Senior Investigating Officer, and all involved in this investigation, have been sustained throughout this period by the goodwill, support and kind regards from the communities of Dewsbury, and indeed from the wider public typified in your letter.

Thank you for taking the time to write and express your thanks, I can assure you this is much appreciated especially in the light of pessimistic reporting in some newspapers.

I have forwarded your kind thoughts to the investigation team.

Yours Faithfully,

Owen West

Chief Inspector
Staff Officer to the Chief Constable

MERLYNSAM

Thanks for typing out the letter Pam. Tezza was right, I was scanning it in last night for you all to see. I am sorry, I don't know why some of you can't see the image.

Try it from this link:

http://img176.imageshack.us/my.php?image=letterfromwestyorkshirewg6.gif

CRYS

that's really lovely and it sounds like they genuinely were happy that we wrote, bless them. they did such a good job. thanks merly for donig this.

EWE 2

Nice to see that the letter was appreciated and acknowleged. Well done again.

MERLYNSAM

Oh, I am glad you can see the scan now.

Yes, I believe they were genuinely pleased to hear from our forum - they have come under attack since they found Shannon with some MEPs making political points. (And I know that is their job but it must be demoralising for the police.)

Even Mark Williams-Thomas spoke out in their defence on GMTV.

I was sorry to read the article which says that Shannon has stayed in volutary care over Easter. I do wonder what made the child elect to stay away from her family. At least we know that she is safe.

PAM SUPPORTFROMIRELAND

Hi Merly, I can see 2nd version too, not sure others can. Strange if not. Not to worry too much though.

Yes we'll all have to wait & see about Shannon and her future. It could get complex for the whole family.

TEZZA

No, I still can't see the scanned image for some odd reason.
Anyhow, not to worry.

Thanks Pam for typing it up and thanks again Merly, what a lovely thing to do for us and great to have a reply too!

Well done!

MERLYSAM

Okay - I hate it when the pooter tries to beat us. I have now done a full image in Tinypics (the other one was in imageshack). Can you see this one?

TEZZA

I see it now merly!

Merly - 1 Pooter - 0

PAM SUPPORTFROMIRELAND

MERLYNSAM

Yeay! We won then, eh?

KARENJANE

Thanks for that Merly.

I'm so glad you sent the letter and that the West Yorkshire Police will know that they have many supporters.
Thank you for doing that.

EWE 2

BBC News

Wednesday, 26 March 2008

Trial date over Shannon 'kidnap'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/7314438.stm

MERLYNSAM

Dewsbury Reporter

28th March 2008

By Gemma Ryder

SHANNON STILL NOT AT HOME

http://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/news/SHANNON-STILL-NOT-AT-HOME.3922073.jp

MERLYNSAM

Birmingham Mail.net

Mar 28 2008

By Maureen Messent

Home's no place for shy Shannon

http://tinyurl.com/2qe5zu

MERLYNSAM

Spenborough Guardian

28th March 2008

By Adam Wolstenholme

The Shannon Matthews documentary was about more than a missing girl

http://www.spenboroughguardian.co.uk/adam-wolstenholme/The-Shannon-Matthews-documentary-was.3925766.jp