A WOMAN who sparked a huge police search after going missing from her car on the M61 has turned up safe and well at her home.

Andrea Christodoulou, 27, of Lytham St Annes, turned up almost 24 hours after she telephoned for assistance when her car broke down near Bolton West Services.

Police had feared the worst after finding her silver VW abandoned on the hard shoulder.

Officers said today they were unsure of where she had been since leaving her car.

The police arrived 45 minutes after her call as she told them she did not request urgent assistance.

Police think she was in the company of a male relative while she made the call from a motorway telephone box.

They found the silver VW Golf unattended and recovered a number of personal items.

Officers carried out an extensive search of the area around the service station.