Shannon Matthews’ kidnapper Michael Donovan dies from cancer

Michael Donovan, the kidnapper of Yorkshire schoolgirl Shannon Matthews, has died from cancer.

Shannon was only nine years old when she disappeared from outside her school in Dewsbury Moor in February 2008, only to turn up 24 days later, hidden in Donovan’s home, less than a mile away in Batley Carr.

Donovan and Shannon’s mother, Karen Matthews, were later jailed after a court heard that they planned the whole disappearance in an attempt to claim a cash reward.

Donovan, 54, was pronounced dead yesterday (Tuesday) after being diagnosed with stage three throat cancer earlier this year.

The investigation into Shannon’s disappearance became the biggest missing person's search West Yorkshire Police had ever undertaken - and was the biggest investigation overall since Peter Sutcliffe.