The mother of a missing 13-year-old has described her relief at being reunited with her daughter after she walked into a London police station.

Schoolgirl Rachel Golden had been missing from her Crowborough home for two weeks when her parents received a call saying she had turned up in Brixton at 6.30pm on Saturday.

Elizabeth, 46, and her husband Michael, 51, drove to the capital where they came face-to-face with their daughter for the first time since August 1 when she left home with just £40.

Mrs Golden said: "It was very emotional when we first saw Rachel and we are delighted to have her home.

"She doesn't want to say where she has been or what she has been doing and we all have to work out where we go from here."

The family spent up to seven hours combing Brighton beach on Thursday after a reported sighting of a girl matching Rachel's description on the seafront and they also travelled to Peterborough to look for the teenager.

The family, including Rachel's eight-year-old brother William, were due to go on holiday to Mallorca at the weekend and were hoping this would encourage the teenager to return home.

But it was not until midnight on Saturday when Rachel finally arrived safely in Crowborough.