A 10-YEAR-OLD boy who sparked a major police search after disappearing for 48 hours was found safe and well yesterday.

Karl Donoghue vanished on Friday afternoon after he left a school lesson at Stockbridge Village Library.

A major operation was launched to find the boy over the weekend after he failed to return to his home in Huyton.

Merseyside Police were throughout Saturday using dog teams and a force helicopter to try to track Karl down.

Officers had been contacting friends and family and visiting areas where he was known to play but his family became increasingly concerned as the hours passed by.

But yesterday afternoon, a friend of Karl's mother contacted her saying that he had spent the last two nights at her house and was safe and well.

Police were able to pick him up and he was quickly reunited with his family.

Karl, a pupil of Highfield Special School, had been dropped off at Stockbridge Village Library for a school lesson by his father, but he left at around 1pm.

The youngster's family alerted police in the early hours of Saturday morning when he had still not returned or contacted them.

Media releases were sent out as officers stepped up their hunt yesterday morning.

A spokeswoman for Merseyside Police said that Karl had gone missing before but his family were particularly worried because of the amount of time he had been away without contact on this occasion.

It was also known that Karl had no money on him when he disappeared.

Police where joined in their searches by colleagues from Knowsley's Neighbourhood Warden teams. A photograph of the boy was circulated.

Last night, a spokesman for Merseyside Police thanked the people who helped them in the search: "Merseyside Police can confirm that Karl Donoghue, the 10-year-old boy who was missing from his home in Huyton, Merseyside, has been located safe and well.

"Apparently he had stayed with a friend for the last two nights and will be shortly reunited with his mother."

chrisbrown@dailypost.co.uk