A TEN-year-old boy turned up safe and wll today after sparking a major police search.

He disappearing yesterday as he walked home from school.

Sean James Wheeler, of Manchester Road, Burnley, left Coal Clough Primary School, Coal Clough Lane, at 3.15pm yesterday.

Detectives investigating his disappearance said he had crossed the road outside the school with the crossing attendant.

They launched a major search and appealed for information but the hunt was abandoned when the child turned up at school as usual shortly after 9am today,18 hours after he had vanished.

Police, who said they were growing increasingly concerned about his whereabouts, said they were waiting to interview Sean and find out where he had been.

Pennine police launched a county-wide appeal for information after his grandparents, who Sean lives with, raised the alarm.

Police were waiting for news with his grandparents this morning and were in attendance at the school, where staff did not want to comment.