Police say the pair met on the internet

The man from Basingstoke is alleged to have met the teenager and the two are believed to have travelled to Merseyside to see an 18-year-old man.

The 14-year-old is believed to have gone voluntarily to a police station after phone calls from her mother and police.

A 31-year-old man was arrested in Merseyside on suspicion of child abduction, and has been released pending further inquiries.

We are extremely concerned that a vulnerable person, a teenage girl, ended up in a strange area of the country Det Insp Bob Maker

The girl was returned to her family in Winchester safe and well, police say.

Officers trying to trace the 18-year-old youth are making inquiries in the Kirby and the Wallasey and Birkenhead areas of the Wirral, Merseyside.

Following the arrest, Hampshire Police issued a warning about the dangers of internet chatrooms.

'Extremely concerned'

Detective Inspector Bob Maker said: "We are extremely concerned that a vulnerable person, a teenage girl, ended up in a strange area of the country.

"So many teenagers and children now have access to the Internet and chat rooms, we think it's important to remind teenagers of the dangers of meeting people via this method.

"If you are ever chatting with someone you do not know, avoid giving out your name, address, phone numbers, or password and you shouldn't send pictures of yourself without a parent's permission.