A missing teenage girl and a 45-year-old man who were found 300 miles away from home are fighting for their lives after a struggle in the back of a police van ended in a bloodbath.
Jessica Roe, 17, and Stuart Lymer – who is her ‘soulmate’ – were last seen getting into a van in Cannock, Staffordshire, on Friday but were found at Perth train station in Scotland yesterday.
The pair were being transported to a police station after being spotted but both are now in a critical condition.
It is believed a weapon, thought to be a knife, was used in the back of the van when a scuffle broke out.
Jessica Roe, 17, was last seen on Friday getting into a van in Cannock, Staffordshire, and was found in Perth yesterday
The pair were last seen outside a Tesco in Cannock, Staffordshire, (pictured) and were later found in Scotland
A police source told the Daily Record: ‘The two people are critically ill in hospital.
‘They were both reported as missing people and picked up by police officers and put into the back of a van. There was a struggle and both have ended up hurt.’
Staffordshire police had launched a desperate hunt for the pair after they became concerned for Miss Roe’s safety.
Detective Inspector Alan Lyford of Staffordshire Police said: ‘We have genuine concerns for Jessica’s safety.
The pair were spotted outside Perth train station and were being driven in a police van when the scuffle broke out
‘There is no suggestion Jessica was forcibly taken, however we need to bring her home to ensure she is safe.’
A Police Scotland spokesman added: ‘Two people reported missing from the Staffordshire area have been traced by Police Scotland officers in Perth.
‘Jessica Roe, 17, from Cannock, and Stuart Lymer, aged 45, from Uttoxeter, were found at Perth railway station at around 11.20am on Monday.
‘They had been reported missing on Friday 2 March, 2018. There is an ongoing investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.’