Hunt ongoing for wanted dad after daughter, 3, 'found outside her home' following huge search

Police are continuing to hunt for a wanted man after he and his daughter went missing following an attack.

Simon Cooney went missing with his three-year-old daughter Autumn after an assault in a car in Blackpool at around 4am yesterday morning (August 28). During the incident, a woman was punched to the face and bitten to her hand, police said.

The car was later found abandoned, with police 'extremely concerned' for Autumn's welfare. In an update issued yesterday, Lancashire Police said Autumn had been 'found outside her home' in Blackpool.

J oin our WhatsAp p Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link .

She is safe and well. Officers are now continuing to hunt for Cooney, from Preston, in connection with the attack.

Anyone who sees the 35-year-old is being urged not to approach him but to call police straight away on 999. Insp Jon Campbell-Smith, of Blackpool Police, said: "As always we are grateful to members of the public who phoned us with information or shared our appeal for us.

"We are also incredibly relieved that Autumn has since turned up outside her home address and is safe and well. We still want to locate Simon Cooney as part of our enquiries into an assault this morning and are asking anyone who knows where he is, or who has seen him, not to approach him but to call us straight away."

Cooney is described as being white, around 6ft tall and of slim build. He has a shaved head and a beard, and has links to Blackpool and Preston.

Anybody with information should call 101, quoting log 211 of August 28. For immediate sightings call 999.

Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.

Read more of today's top stories here