A MOTHER whose daughter disappeared after logging into an internet chat room today revealed her heartbreak over missing schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The Longridge mother spoke as detectives looking for the Cambridgeshire 10-year-olds revealed they were investigating the possibility that they had been lured away by someone they had met through a computer.

Police said the girls, from Soham, had been using Holly's computer to log onto the internet on Sunday, just before they disappeared. They were later spotted walking past a local leisure centre in their distinctive Manchester United football shirts.

Julie Baines, of Crumpax Avenue, said: "It brings back memories. I experienced the same nightmare as these mums. I just hope those girls turn up."

She also issued a warning to every parent about the dangers of internet chatrooms and made a plea for the government to clamp down on them.

Julie's daughter Amy Singleton, ran away from home in February to meet up with a 16 year-old boy from Reading.

Amy, 17, who was 16 at the time, told her mum she was staying with friends in Preston.

A five-day nationwide search was launched when Julie, who works at a pub in Alston, discovered Amy had lied.

Thames Valley Police, internet provider AOL and the police's central telephone unit helped trace Amy to the address in Reading 200 miles away.

The case prompted police to warn of the potential problems caused by meeting people over the Internet and the Home Office issued advice to parents on how to spot the danger signs.

Since her return to the family's home, the computer has been thrown out.

"One thing that astonishes me is why is the internet allowed to continue like this. It's a shop window for perverts," said Julie. "Amy had a lot of friends on the internet, both male and female.

"This particular lad she stayed with had been contacting her for a couple of months.

"I am very, very lucky because this lad was 16 and was genuine and his family were wonderful, but what if? Amy didn't know who she was going to. It could have been anybody.

"Children are naive and believe everything they are told. Do parents out there know who they are letting into their homes when kids switch the computer on?" While Amy was missing, police searched the family's computer and discovered some shocking pornography which had been e-mailed by people she met in chatrooms.

"It was frightening when that happened," said Julie, "I thought it was a paedophile who had got her. Then I went through every scenario in my head. I couldn't understand why she wouldn't contact me if she was all right."