An Oxford University student who mysteriously disappeared for 60 hours has been found safe and well.

Sara Crowley-Vigneau, 23, from Lancing, was tracked down in London after a police hunt spanning three counties and is now staying with relatives, police said.

Thames Valley Police officers travelled to London to search for the student after she caught a coach to the capital at 4am on Monday without telling friends where she was going.

But it was a member of her family who found her in the city at 4.30pm yesterday.

Insp Stuart Gibbs, of Oxford Police, said: "We are most relieved to have Sara back with her family safe and well.

"I would also like to extend my thanks to the media for their support and help with this case.

"It is as a direct result of media coverage that Sara was found, as a member of the public spotted her in London after seeing newspaper coverage.

"From that we were able to pinpoint her location and enable her to meet with her relative."

The modern languages student had been drinking with friends in Oxford before disappearing and seemed upset, police said.

Detectives said she had not told anyone where she was going.

Miss Crowley-Vigneau, who is studying at St Edmund Hall, was described by police as a "popular" student.

She is the academic affairs and careers officer for her college's JCR committee and writes for the Oxford Student newspaper.

A gifted academic, she recently became the founding editor of her college newspaper, The Insider.