The search for Shannon Matthews continued yesterday as police privately admitted that the missing nine-year-old may be dead.

As the sixth day of searching came to an end with no trace of the schoolgirl from Dewsbury, Chief Superintendent Barry South, of West Yorkshire Police, said he was “gravely concerned” about finding her.

Despite an official statement from West Yorkshire Police that “significant searches” were continuing, another senior police source said: “History sadly shows us that after four days in cases such as this, there is usually a tragic outcome.

However, the source added: “We are hoping that this is an exception.”

Shannon was last seen leaving Westmoor Junior School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, at 3.10pm on Tuesday.

She had previously been on a school swimming trip, and CCTV footage shows her leaving Dewsbury Sports Centre swimming pool surrounded by a group of friends and wearing bright pink, furry boots.

A police spokeswoman said yesterday that the police were continuing to recover CCTV footage for examination.

She said: “Detectives are continuing to investigate information from members of the public and house-to-house inquiries are also continuing to take place in the area.”

Police have received more than 300 calls from the public and have searched more than 200 homes within a half-mile radius of the last sighting of Shannon.

On Saturday police divers were called in for a second time since the search began to dredge up the contents of a small lake near Shannon’s house.

Mr South said the search of the pond was not based on any specific intelligence. “We are carrying out a staged-phase process of searches,” he said. “We have recovered at least 250 items, but none of them is linked to Shannon. We are now gravely concerned.

“Anyone at this stage would be concerned. What we have got to do, though, is maintain the activity.”

The search, involving more than 250 officers, has also focused on a flat half a mile away from Shannon’s home belonging to an ex-boyfriend of her mother, Karen Matthews. Ms Matthews, 32, has seven children by five fathers.

The police have confirmed that scrawled on Shannon’s bedroom wall are references to her biological father, Leon Rose, 29, including one in which she said she wanted to go and live with him in Huddersfield.

But Ms Matthews has insisted that Shannon had a good relationship with her current partner, Craig Meehan, 22. Police have not found any evidence to suggest she made the 30-mile (48km) journey to Huddersfield.

She has not been recorded on bus or train CCTV and she left her mobile phone at home.

Meanwhile, friends and neighbours of the family began the Sunday service at Shannon’s local church yesterday with a prayer for her safe return. In a service dedicated to the missing girl, the parish priest at St James’s Church, the Rev Simon Pitcher, said: “We lit a candle and we had a silence so we could pray for her family and for her safe return.”

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