A father-of-two from Bristol has vanished with a 15-year- old schoolgirl neighbour, sparking a nationwide police search.

Jack Saxton, aged 22, and Alyx Leighton, who celebrated her 15th birthday just two weeks ago, disappeared from Bradley Stoke together last Friday.

It is believed the pair may have fled to Scotland after she printed out a travel plan to Glasgow on her family computer and searched for B&Bs there online.

Mr Saxton's fiancee Helen Channelle yesterday criticised his "selfish" actions on this website, as the friends and family of Alyx pleaded with her to come home.

Office manager Miss Channelle, 26, and Mr Saxton have two sons and have lived together for five years.

Miss Channelle said he had been a "brilliant father who loves his kids and doted on them".

But she said: "What he has done is stupid and has not just devastated two families but in fact three, as his family are also involved.

"Jack and Alyx are both selfish and have just got blown away with the fantasy of it all and not really thought about what their actions have done.

"At the end of the day she is 15. Her mother, who is extremely worried, would obviously report this to the police, and rightly so.

"She is protecting her daughter, just like I will do with my sons."

Police are now trying to trace Mr Saxton's car, a silver Ford Fiesta Zetec with the number plate Y199 HEV, and appealing to anyone who may have seen him or Alyx to contact them.

Alyx's mum Vickki Forse, 34, who lives less than 100 yards from Mr Saxton, said: ''I just want Alyx back home safe and well. I want her to know I love her and really miss her. I'd never even heard of this man before.

"She was supposed to be starting her work experience from school this week and she's left home without any money.

"She's mature in her looks but not in her behaviour and I am very worried and just want her back safely."

Alyx disappeared last Friday afternoon after promising her mother she would return home by 9.30pm.

Painter and decorator Mr Saxton had arranged to pick up his sons Nicholas, two, and Dylan, 18 months, from nursery the same afternoon but didn't show up.

Instead he sent his fiancee a text reading "sorry" and has not turned his phone on since.

Miss Channelle, who suspected Jack of having a secret relationship with Alyx after finding texts between the pair, went to visit Ms Forse the following day.

When Ms Forse checked the family computer she found her daughter had printed out an AA route planner from Bristol to Glasgow, as well as looking up B&Bs in the city.

Miss Channelle said yesterday she feels guilty that she didn't contact Alyx's mum with her suspicions earlier.

She said: "We got engaged two years ago and I thought everything was fine, but then out of the blue we had a big bust-up a month ago and he walked out.

"We got back together for a while then split again and he told me 'I don't want to see you again'.

"I had my suspicions he was having an affair but he always denied it and I had no proof. I can now see that I've been a fool.

"He was always asking me for money for his job and tools and now I've found he was spending it on her.

"I wish I'd acted on my suspicions and gone to see her mother weeks ago and then her daughter would still be here."

Meanwhile, a school friend of Alyx's, Lucy, from Bradley Stoke, made an appeal on the this website for her friend to come home.

She said: "Alyx is a really nice girl. I've known her since Year 7. If she does read this then 'hey Alyx, we're all worried about you and people really want you to come home safely'.

"Alyx is a sensible girl and has a good head on her shoulders. We all make mistakes and this is a big one, but we should all be here to support the both of them and get them back to where they both belong safely."

Avon and Somerset police spokesman Steve Game said: "We are concerned about this girl's disappearance because she is underage."