Teacher will not fight extradition

Teacher Jeremy Forrest who went missing with his teenage pupil Megan Stammers will not fight extradition proceedings against him and has agreed to return to the UK "as soon as possible", his lawyers say.

The 30-year-old was arrested on suspicion of child abduction after the pair were found in the French town of Bordeaux on Thursday.

Phil Smith, from Tuckers Solicitors, said in a statement: "He has agreed to return to the UK as soon as possible without the need for protracted extradition proceedings."

Fifteen-year-old Megan is expected to travel back to her hometown of Eastbourne, East Sussex, more than a week after she went missing with her 30-year-old teacher.

Forrest, Megan's maths teacher at Bishop Bell C of E School, in Eastbourne, remains in police custody in France.

It is understood it will be a number of days before he is returned to the UK as he awaits to appear in court in France on Tuesday.

Megan's parents have already been in contact with their daughter by telephone but have remained in the UK as they await her return, a Sussex Police spokesman said.

Officers plan to speak with Megan once she has met with mother Danielle Wilson and stepfather Martin Stammers, he added.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "Megan is likely to return today to be reunited with her family and to speak with police."

An officer from Sussex Police's child protection team travelled to Bordeaux to meet Megan after she was found, while a detective inspector from the force was already in France as part of the ongoing search for the teenager, the spokesman said.