AS the little girl walked past the police incident caravan she turned to her mother and asked: "What do you think has happened, mum?"

It was a poignant moment which came just an hour after detectives had begun digging up a back garden of a Farnworth house, in the search for missing schoolgirl Sheila Fox.

Fifty seven years on and Sheila has never been seen since her mystery disappearance as she walked home from school on a Friday afternoon in August 1944. She was just a six-year-old innocent little girl. Yesterday the young questioner, dressed in checked school dress, her hair in pigtails and carrying a school satchel, would have been about the same age as Sheila was when she disappeared.

But this little girl was still cossetted and secure, walking hand-in-hand with her mum on the early morning stroll to school.

It provided a stark contrast to the work at the rear of the semi-detached property on Barton Road, where forensic experts had partitioned off the plot as they systematically searched the area.

Many members of the tight-knit local community still remember the huge hunt within hours of Sheila being reported missing.

Pensioner Annie Worthington recalled how Sheila had visited her home on George Street, Farnworth, days before she was last seen.

The 85-year-old, who lives in a first floor flat opposite the Barton Road house at the centre of the investigation, said: "My niece was great friends with Sheila's sister and I remember the little girl coming round to our house. She was a nice little girl but I recall that day that she was soaked because it had been pouring down. When she went missing I remember the big search that took place. They wanted people to look in their air raid shelters to see if Sheila was in there. We were all scared to death to look in ours."

Barbara Grounds, aged 64, recalled how parents and relatives had stressed to their children that Sheila had suddenly gone missing.

Mrs Grounds said: "I was constantly told not to talk to anyone and come straight home from school because there was a man about. I was only eight years old but I remember hearing all the grown ups talking about it and we had to be so careful." AS the little girl walked past the police incident caravan she turned to her mother and asked: "What do you think has happened, mum?"

It was a poignant moment which came just an hour after detectives had begun digging up a back garden of a Farnworth house, in the search for missing schoolgirl Sheila Fox.

Fifty seven years on and Sheila has never been seen since her mystery disappearance as she walked home from school on a Friday afternoon in August 1944. She was just a six-year-old innocent little girl. Yesterday the young questioner, dressed in checked school dress, her hair in pigtails and carrying a school satchel, would have been about the same age as Sheila was when she disappeared.

But this little girl was still cossetted and secure, walking hand-in-hand with her mum on the early morning stroll to school.

It provided a stark contrast to the work at the rear of the semi-detached property on Barton Road, where forensic experts had partitioned off the plot as they systematically searched the area.

Many members of the tight-knit local community still remember the huge hunt within hours of Sheila being reported missing.

Pensioner Annie Worthington recalled how Sheila had visited her home on George Street, Farnworth, days before she was last seen.

The 85-year-old, who lives in a first floor flat opposite the Barton Road house at the centre of the investigation, said: "My niece was great friends with Sheila's sister and I remember the little girl coming round to our house. She was a nice little girl but I recall that day that she was soaked because it had been pouring down. When she went missing I remember the big search that took place. They wanted people to look in their air raid shelters to see if Sheila was in there. We were all scared to death to look in ours."

Barbara Grounds, aged 64, recalled how parents and relatives had stressed to their children that Sheila had suddenly gone missing.

Mrs Grounds said: "I was constantly told not to talk to anyone and come straight home from school because there was a man about. I was only eight years old but I remember hearing all the grown ups talking about it and we had to be so careful."