A MISSING schoolgirl and her 22-year-old policeman boyfriend are returning home to Worcester today.

After a prolonged land and sea search of the Scottish coast around remote Kyle of Tongue, 15-year-old Naomi Mills, and Matthew Brooks, aged 22, were found safe and well last night.

They are currently in a Scottish hospital for treatment, but are expected to return to England later on today.

They were discovered about seven miles south of Tongue, and three miles from where the car PC Brooks was using had been found submerged in the sea.

The pair were spotted by David Ross, a reporter from The Herald newspaper.

He saw the couple walking along the Tongue to Altnaharra road and alerted the police.

Thirty minutes later, following Mr Ross' directions, Sgt Alan Heath, with the Northern Constabulary, and his three-year-old German Shepherd dog, Jed, found them walking in a wooded area at about 7.40pm last night.

"The dog indicated there were people there," said Sgt Heath. "I called out and the two people came out.

"They looked wet but apart from that they looked in reasonably good health."

Their families were informed and last night the pair were "safely in the care of the police" at Thurso Police Station.

"This morning the two remain at a hospital in Scotland for observation and it is anticipated that they will be returning to England later today, although exactly when is unclear at this time," said a police spokesman.

Detective Superintendent Ray Groves, of West Mercia Police, said urgent arrangements would be made to reunite the families.

"I would like to pay tribute to the enormous contribution of the Northern Constabulary made in assisting us in finding Naomi and Matthew," said Det Supt Groves.