Police say the pair met on the internet

The 31-year-old man from Basingstoke is alleged to have met the teenage girl and travelled up to Merseyside to see another 18-year-old she had met on the internet.

She is believed to have gone voluntarily to a police station after phone calls from her mother and police.

The 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 are making inquiries in the Kirby and the Wallasey and Birkenhead areas of the Wirral, Merseyside.

"At this stage it is believed he may have given out false details," a police spokeswoman said.

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.

He added: "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.