A "NAIVE and immature" teena-ger has sparked a massive police hunt by disappearing just minutes after dropping her niece off at nursery.

Attia Nissa, 16, has not been seen since she left Ashworth Nursery, Ad-dison Close, Blackburn, at around 12.45pm on Friday.

She had left her home in Bromley Street 30 minutes earlier with just £10 in her pocket and her mobile phone - which has not been used since Thursday.

Police are beco-ming increasingly worr-ied about her and are speaking to her friends to try and piece together details of her life and her associates.

They are also inves-tigating whether she had another mobile phone which her family were not aware of.

Police are also speaking to her four sisters, brother and father to try to find out about her life.

Her mother is currently in Pakistan.

Attia, who speaks poor English, vanished after walking to the nursery with her three-year-old niece.

She was wearing a traditional Muslim dress which was red with white flowers, a black, waist-length jacket and a red scarf.

Detective Chief Insp-ector Neil Hunter said that the family was "very concerned" about Attia, who he said was naive and immature.

He Hunter said: "We are very keen to speak to any of Attia's friends.

"We are trying to piece together her move-ments in the few days before she went missing and also want to speak to anyone who has any information about her current whereabouts.

"This is completely out of character for her.

"She has never gone missing before.

"At this stage we are keeping all options open in our investigation."

Attia has lived in Blackburn for two years after moving to East Lancashire from Red-ditch in Worcest-ershire.

She moved to Redditch six years ago with her family from Pakistan.

She is not working or at college but was due to start an English language course at Blackburn College.

Mr Hunter said initial searches for the teenager had centred on the Blackburn area but inquiries will also take place in Redditch, where Attia still has family.

Local councillor Moh-ammed Khan urged anyone in the area with information about where Attia is to co-operate with police.

Coun Khan said: "I hope that the girl is safe wherever she is.

"I know that the parents will be very worried.

"Nobody in the area seems to know very much about her but if anybody knows where she is they need to come forward."

A neighbour who said he knew the family well said everyone was very worried about Attia's safety.

The man, who asked not to be named, said the family were "very respectable" and he was hoping for her to return home safely.