A traumatised mother and young child were kept prisoner in their own home for six days.

They were only discovered when police checked their flat after receiving a call from the child's worried teacher.

Officers found the 34-year-old mother and her young daughter uninjured but one senior detective said: "They were mentally traumatised."

Police arrested a 30-year-old man at the scene on suspicion of false imprisonment. He was being questioned at Brighton police station.

Officers were interviewing the victims further this weekend. They were asking the woman whether she had been sexually abused by the man.

It is understood she recently split with a partner who wanted to resume their relationship.

The mother and daughter were first held at their home on a Brighton estate on Friday last week.

Police said they had eaten regularly during their imprisonment and had not been restrained but they had not been allowed to leave the flat.

They were fully clothed and generally in good health when they were freed late on Thursday.

Detective Inspector Graham Bartlett, head of the Brighton and Hove Anti-Victimisation Unit, said: "We received a call from a teacher at the girl's school. The teacher was worried because the girl had not shown up for school all week.

"Our officers went to their home address to check on their well-being and discovered they had been held there.

"The mother and daughter were led out and we arrested a man at the scene without a struggle."

Mr Bartlett said counselling services would be offered to both victims.

They were being interviewed this weekend by specially-trained police and social workers.

He said: "This was a dreadful ordeal and we are working with other agencies to ensure they recover as quickly as possible."