Shocking update on British tourist, 18, who 'vanished on holiday in Thailand' after her family put out desperate plea

A British teen who went missing portion on holiday successful Thailand, sparking a immense hunt to find her, has been arrested successful Georgia connected 'drug offences.'

Bella May Culley, 18, from Billingham, County Durham, had been travelling astir the state with a person but had not been heard from since Saturday. 

Her telephone was said to person been turned disconnected and she was past thought to beryllium successful the Pattaya area, which is adjacent to Bangkok. 

But now, Cleveland Police has said that authorities successful Georgia person confirmed that 'an 18-year-old pistillate from Billingham has been arrested determination connected suspicion of drugs offences and that she remains successful their custody.'

Questions stay arsenic to however Bella journeyed from Thailand to Georgia. 

The teen archetypal flew retired to the Philippines conscionable aft Easter this twelvemonth and flew to Thailand astir May 3. Bella had been regularly posting connected societal media and past shared a representation to Facebook connected Monday, May 5. 

Her distraught household earlier appealed for assistance to hint her whereabouts, with constabulary successful Thailand progressive successful the search. 

Bella, who has precocious finished a people astatine Middlesbrough College with the purpose of becoming a nurse, was successful regular interaction with her parent Lyanne Kennedy and was owed to talk with her connected Saturday but the household has had nary connection since. 

Bella's begetter Neil Culley flew retired to Thailand with his sister Kerrie Culley to effort to get answers. 

Lyanne told Teesside Live: 'She flew retired to the Philippines aft Easter with a person and she was determination for 3 weeks. 

'She was posting loads of pictures and past she went to Thailand connected astir May 3.

'The past connection she sent was to maine and that was connected Saturday astatine 5.30pm saying she was going to Facetime maine later. 

'That was the past connection anyone has received from what we tin fig retired up to now.

'I'm conscionable waiting connected her dada who is present successful Bangkok to get backmost with immoderate much information. 

'I conscionable privation her location and harmless oregon to perceive her gorgeous small voice.'

Lyanne besides told the Sun that she had a atrocious feeling astir Bella's travel to Thailand, telling the newspaper: 'I truly didn't privation her to spell to Thailand. I begged her to travel home. I don't spot immoderate of the boys implicit there.

'But she wanted to conscionable up with immoderate friends she made implicit determination connected a erstwhile trip. I don't cognize who immoderate of them are.'

After  Bella's begetter Neil arrived successful Bankkok, helium went consecutive to a constabulary station, wherever officers told him to interaction the country's migration bureau to fig retired wherever Bella was past staying. 

Lyanne told the Sun: 'When she stopped answering messages I assumed it was due to the fact that she was flying backmost to astonishment me. But past nothing.'

The household got successful interaction with the airline, who revealed that Bella had made a petition for a summons but the outgo ne'er went through.

Lyanne added: 'We deliberation she was past adjacent Pattaya, and was expected to alert backmost from Bangkok via Frankfurt according to the itinerary.'

'But I ne'er heard thing astir picking her up.'