A COUPLE have praised the community spirit of residents on their estate who organised a search after their daughter went missing.
Four-year-old Lilly Farmer was playing outside her home in Vernon Close on Daventry’s Southbrook estate on Wednesday last week.
Her mother Joanne said: “She was playing with friends, but decided to wander off.
“When I realised I started looking around the estate but called the police when I couldn’t find her easily.
“So many police arrived I couldn’t believe it.
“They must have had every officer there. The place was swarming with them.
“People on the estate know me and word soon got out. I think an alert went on Facebook.
“Soon people were coming out of their houses to look and ask if they could help in any way.
“Even some young lads who I don’t normally get on with too well were there asking the police where they should look.
“The police told us that it was so nice that people were helping, and also asking where they could look to be of most use.
“It was amazing really. It wasn’t something I was expecting, but it shows what a good community we have on the Southbrook. Everyone seemed to be out looking.”
Lilly had been missing for two hours before she was finally found in a nearby play park.
Ms Farmer said: “She’d walked down the road to a play park. My friend spotted her, but when the police went over she tried to run off again!
“She was completely fine when she was found, but very upset.
“Lilly’s a very bright young girl, and has always been a bit of a handful.
“She knows the estate fairly well.
“I just want to thank all the people who helped in the search, particularly those from the estate.”
Lilly’s father Tony said: “We were both very worried when Lilly disappeared.
“It was really good to see the estate pulling together though.
“The Southbrook definitely has a good community.”