THE hunt for missing teenager Jenny Nicholl took a new twist last night after witnesses said she was camping on the moors where a man in a makeshift den was found at the weekend.

The Northern Echo understands the 19-year-old was seen on the North Yorkshire moorland several days before she disappeared on 30 June.

Witnesses said the teenager was camping with another young woman and an older man. She was seen by several people in the Downholme area, near Richmond, which lies on the edge of the moor.

Police were back on the moors yesterday looking for further clues.

The search for Miss Nicholl seems to have switched back to North Yorkshire after detectives initially believed she may have travelled to Scotland. It comes after a widespread police search discovered a man apparently living rough in a makeshift hide at the weekend.

Detectives called on mountain rescue experts and police with tracker dogs in a bid to locate the middle-aged man.

He was found in a crudely constructed shelter - similar to those used by survivalists and the Army - between Hudswell and Downholme, on Saturday morning.

Detectives have been unable to question him in depth about Miss Nicholl's disappearance because he was suffering from exposure and hypothermia. He was recovering in hospital last night.

Police earlier revealed that a man had also been questioned with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

They refused to give any details of the weekend's operation. Detectives have consistently declined to give any details of the search, other than to say the investigation is ongoing.

Every force in Britain has been given details of the missing teenager and detectives have followed up leads in the Lake District and Scotland.

Despite the length of time Miss Nicholl has been missing, detectives remain confident that she will be found safe and well.