A HAMPSHIRE schoolgirl sparked every parent's worst nightmare after she fled nearly 250 miles to meet a man she got to know on the Internet.

The 14-year-old from Winchester was reported missing on Saturday morning after she left home to travel to Merseyside, as reported in later editions of yesterday's Daily Echo.

Detectives are now warning of the perils of Internet chat rooms where children can talk to unsupervised to strangers who may be lying about their identity.

The girl is believed to have travelled with a man she met on the Internet to meet an 18-year-old she had also been in computer contact with for several months.

The man picked her up in the Winchester area and drove across the country with her in his vehicle after making arrangements over the Internet.

A 31-year-old man from Abbey Road, Popley in Basingstoke, was arrested by Merseyside police in connection with the incident on Saturday.

The man, who was detained on suspicion of child abduction, was interviewed by two detectives from Hampshire and released on bail pending further inquiries.

Police have now seized computers from his and the girl's house so their conversations can be analysed.

The girl, who was not harmed in any way, was reported missing from her Winchester home at 7.45am on Saturday after her parents discovered a note she had left for them the previous evening when she went to bed.

The teenager gave herself up on Saturday after being persuaded to by her mother and police over the phone.

The man took her straight to the nearest police station in Kirkby instead of meeting the 18-year-old as arranged.

Investigations have been launched in Kirkby and the Wallasey and Birkenhead areas of the Wirral to trace the 18-year-old man, whom police believe may have given out false details.

Detective Inspector Bob Maker said: "We are extremely concerned that a vulnerable person, a teenage girl, ended up in a strange area of the country.

"So many teenagers and children now have access to the Internet and chat rooms that we think it's important to remind teenagers of the dangers of meeting people via this method.

"While the majority of conversations taking place are between children of the same age and are perfectly innocent, there are, unfortunately, a small number of inappropriate individuals who use these sites to prey on youngsters.

"Tell your parents or carers if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried."