Welcoming the safe discovery of the nine-year-old, Mr Wood tabled a parliamentary motion congratulating West Yorkshire Police and paying tribute to the hundreds of individual officers and staff who worked for more than three weeks around the clock to find Shannon.

Mr Wood, whose constituency includes Shannon's Dewsbury Moor home, said: "This has clearly been an extensive and complicated inquiry that has needed vast amounts of resources, time and sensitivity.

"Senior officers have directed the investigation well and spared no resource while the rank and file officers and staff have devoted energy and often their own time to finding Shannon.

"West Yorkshire Police have been criticised for a host of different things by people far removed from the reality and complexities of the situation in Dewsbury Moor.

"But we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the local police have searched 3,000 houses and 360 acres of land and water and spoken to more than 6,000 people, as well as dealing with a complex network of extended family members.

"Most importantly, Shannon has been found, she is apparently safe and well and a suspect has been caught and charged. This sort of outcome in cases like these is virtually unheard of. This is a rare but extremely welcome conclusion and the officers and staff of West Yorkshire Police deserve our praise.

"I hope my parliamentary motion will allow Members of Parliament on all sides to echo this."

Mr Wood's Early Day Motion, a message to government attracting support from other MPs, states: "That this House welcomes the discovery, apparently safe and well, of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews after more than three weeks missing from home in Dewsbury Moor; congratulates West Yorkshire police for the way in which they have handled a complex and sensitive case; and pays tribute to the dedication and hard work of local police officers for the hours and the energy they have devoted to the investigation."

Shannon, who was found in Michael Donovan's Batley Carr flat at 12.30pm last Friday, emerged looking healthy and well-dressed when she was discovered.

Police found her hidden inside a divan bed in a first floor flat at Lidgate Gardens. The little girl from had not been seen since Tuesday February 19, when she was dropped off at Westmoor Junior School after a swimming lesson.

Since being found, Shannon has been in the care of specially trained police officers but her mum Karen Matthews said she understands why.

She said: "I fully understand that the police need to keep speaking to Shannon to establish exactly what has happened during the time that she has been missing. I appreciate that could take some time and is not something that is going to happen overnight.

"The most important thing is that Shannon is safe. I have seen Shannon and I am completely happy that she is being very well looked after and is being given all the care she needs.The police have been brilliant and I'm really grateful for all they have done for us.

"Of course I want her back with us as soon as that's possible but I understand that could take some time. When she does come home I want it to be for good. Our main priority is Shannon's welfare."

Donovan, appeared before Batley and Dewsbury magistrates on Tuesday morning charged with kidnapping Shannon and holding her against her will.

Donovan, 39, who is also known as Paul Drake, is the uncle to Shannon's stepfather Craig Meehan.

Under normal circumstances reporting restrictions would be put in place because Shannon is under 18.

But magistrates said the media attention surrounding the case meant there was little point banning the reporting of Shannon's name.