Missing Children Pleas Posted On Twitter

A charity is hoping to harness the power of Twitter over the next 24 hours by sending out a new appeal for a missing child every 30 minutes throughout the day.

The Big Tweet for Missing Children is taking place on International Missing Children's Day and aims to make a marathon appeal to try to track down some of the 100,000 youngsters who go missing in the UK every year.

One of those supporting the cause is Kerry Needham, whose 21-month-old son Ben went missing 19 years ago on the Greek island of Kos.

"Every morning and every night I look at his picture and it gives me strength. I am his mum and I will never give up hope."

The 24-hour event on Twitter , which will use #IMCD for International Missing Children's Day, encourages users of the site to retweet the messages sent by the Missing People charity , increasing the number of people who see the appeals.

TV host Lorraine Kelly, a patron of the charity, backed the campaign, saying: "As a mum myself I can't imagine anything worse."

Anyone wishing to join the campaign should follow @missingpeople on the site.