An Ipswich mum has spoken of her daughter's disappearance as the 'worst experience of her life', in light of new figures which reveal that nearly 3,000 children went missing in Suffolk in the past year.

Hayley West, 33, knows all too well the pain that friends and family members go through when a child goes missing.

"I just can't describe it," she said.

"It was honestly the worst experience of my life. I still have PTSD, it was just so scary."

Her teenage daughter has been struggling with her mental health for a number of years and recently went missing multiple times.

Mrs West said that, while her daughter had gone missing and tried to take her own life before, the latest incident was "particularly concerning".

READ MORE: Ipswich mum calls for change after daughter's mental health struggles

"I just froze, knowing she was out there by herself," she added.

"It's unbelievably tough to know that your child is struggling that badly."

2,775 missing children reports were made in Suffolk from April 2022 to March 2023 - generated by only 719 individuals.

This means, on average, that each of these children is going missing three or four times.

Though she was preparing herself for the worst, Mrs West and her daughter were reunited, but the Ipswich mother is determined to fight for stronger support networks.

READ MORE: Why are Suffolk's young people from care going missing?

"We've considered moving four or five hours away to access better mental health services," she said.

"If we sorted out our mental health services, not so many children would go missing.

"I got my daughter back, but I'm still fighting - if not for my children, perhaps for my grandchildren.

"If people don't stand together, things aren't going to change."

READ MORE: Police and crime commissioner acknowledges county's 'significant issue'

Head of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, responsible for mental health provision in the county, Stuart Richardson said: "We are committed to providing safe, excellent care to everyone who needs us.

"We encourage anyone who is not happy with their experiences of our services to contact us so that we can work together directly to resolve any issues."