A FRANTIC couple today appealed for their schoolgirl daughter and the friend who lives with them to return home.

Fiona Bland and Tracey McGlynn, both 15, were last seen taking a bus into Blackburn town centre on Monday morning wearing their Queen's Park High School uniforms.

Fiona's mother Mrs Jenny Bland, who runs the Thwaites Arms pub in Whalley New Road, Blackburn, with husband Graham, said she later discovered the teenagers had never made it to school and contacted the police when they had still not returned by 10pm.

She said: "I thought they were just playing silly games. But now they have been away for almost four days I am getting really worried.

"I don't think they are in Blackburn any more."

Mrs Bland says she has checked the bedrooms at the pub and found telephone numbers in Preston, Scotland and London.

The disappearance marred a reopening party held at the pub last night.

Tracey has lived with the couple for several months.

Mrs Bland added: "They could be anywhere by now.

"We had fallen out before they left but I simply want them back home and safe. We can forget about any silly row."

Today police said they still had several addresses to check in the hunt for the girls, who have both disappeared for short periods before, but not together.

Fiona is slim, with a fair complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair.

Tracey is also slim and fair, with green eyes and blonde/brown hair in a short pony tail.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Blackburn police on 01254-51212.

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