West Yorkshire Police have released three women on bail over the alleged abduction of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews.

Amanda Hyett, 25, her sister Caroline Meehan, 29, and their mother Alice Meehan, 49, were earlier held on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and questioned at police stations in West Yorkshire.

Hyett and Alice Meehan were also arrested and bailed last week over the nine-year-old's alleged abduction.

Mrs Hyett was originally questioned on suspicion of assisting an offender while Alice Meehan was questioned on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Hyett is the neighbour of Shannon's mother Karen Matthews, 32, and the sister of her partner Craig Meehan. Alice Meehan is Craig and Amanda's mother.

The further interviews come a day after Matthews appeared in court charged with perverting the course of justice and child neglect.

On Wednesday, Matthews was remanded in custody when she appeared before magistrates, accused of repeatedly concealing information about the whereabouts of her daughter.

Police discovered Shannon after she had been missing for 24 days in the base of a bed at an address just a mile from her home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

Matthews was charged with perverting the course of justice and child neglect and was remanded in custody until April 16 when she will appear via a videolink at Leeds Crown Court.

Her charge of perverting the course of justice alleges she "repeatedly concealed information in relation to the whereabouts of Shannon Matthews in interviews and other contacts with officers with the West Yorkshire Police and claimed to have no knowledge of her whereabouts".

Just hours after the court appearance, contractors began boarding up her semi-detached council home in Moorside Road. Police also urged local residents not to take the law into their own hands and not to jump to conclusions about people involved in the inquiry.

A total of five people have been arrested in connection with the alleged abduction of Shannon.

Michael Donovan, of Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, was arrested on March 14, after Shannon was found in his flat.

He was later charged with Shannon's kidnap and false imprisonment and is in custody awaiting trial at Leeds Crown Court on November 11.

The 39-year-old, formerly known as Paul Drake, is the uncle of Matthews' partner Craig Meehan.

A sixth person, Matthews' partner Craig Meehan, has been charged with possessing indecent images of children.

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