David Beckham last night appealed to the ten-year-old girls missing for two days to "go home".

The England football star was joined by the rest of the Manchester United squad in making the appeal to Holly Wells and best friend Jessica Chapman, who vanished from Soham, Cambridge-shire, on Sunday.

The girls were wearing Manchester United replica shirts with Beckham's name and Number 7 on the back when they were last seen.

In a statement, Beckham said: "Please go home. You are not in any kind of trouble. Your parents love you deeply and want you back."

Beckham is the favourite player of both Holly and Jessica.

The parents of both girls issued a joint statement thanking Beckham for his support. They said: "It's tremendous, fantastic. To think someone like David Beckham would offer us his support is superb."

The investigation into the girls' disappearance was last night focusing on a possible sighting eight miles from Soham.

Tina-Marie Easey, 39, told police she saw two girls matching Holly and Jessica's description walking past her house at Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire, at about 6.45am on Monday morning.

Mrs Easey's house is on the side of the A10, the main road between Ely and Cambridge.

She saw the girls walking towards Cambridge as she drew her blinds. "They were definitely wearing Manchester United shirts,"said Mrs Easey.

"My sons support Manchester United and I know what the shirts look like. They seemed to be larking about - they seemed quite happy."

Detective Superintendent David Hankins said police were taking the sighting very seriously. "You can never be 100 per cent sure but the description matches the girls to a T," he said.

Police were yesterday continuing to examine computers from the homes of Holly and Jessica.

Both girls enjoyed sending e-mails, and police want to know if they arranged to meet anyone via the Internet.

Experts were also checking Jessica's mobile phone records. She had the phone with her when she vanished but police have been unable to make contact with it.

Specialist search teams have been combing fields, hedgerows and outbuildings around Soham and Little Thetford.

Police are also carrying out routine checks of dykes, rivers and ditches.