London - A teenager who vanished two and a half years ago was found in a cupboard when police raided the flat of a suspected paedophile.
The boy of 15, named by German newspapers as Marvin K, was found in the same clothes that he went missing in.
Neighbours in Recklinghausen, about 60 miles north of Cologne, said they had not seen the teenager but had occasionally heard the screams of a man coming from the flat.
Police were last night holding a 44-year-old unemployed handyman called Lars H on suspicion of sharing images of child abuse.
They said there were no signs that Marvin had been held by force. At the time he went missing he was in local authority care.
His mother Manuela, 53, said: ‘He held on to me really tightly and he began to tremble. He said “Mummy, take me home. I was locked away for two and a half years and I couldn’t get any fresh air”. He was in a completely squalid condition when he came out of the flat. We both cried. He took my hand and wouldn’t let go.
‘I always said he was either dead or somewhere he could not get in touch with me.
‘I had pictured to myself for two and a half years how it would be to see him again.’