LITTLE Lucie Allen sits on her bed just hours after sparking a huge police search and rescue operation.

Mum-of-seven Samantha Arnesen, 35 was plunged into every parent's worst nightmare when she couldn't find her two-year-old daughter on Monday evening.

After two hours Lucie was found safe and well in her own bed, and Mrs Arnesen believes she hadn't even left the house.

But Gwent Police, who had 25 officers on the case, as well as police dogs and the force helicopter, said they thought Lucie did leave her Rogerstone home.

The drama started at around 7pm when Mrs Arnesen was cooking and went to check on the children.

She couldn't find Lucie and scoured her semi-detached home in Hillside Avenue, desperately calling her daughter's name.

Older sons Thomas and Callum raced the length of the street in search for the tot, alerting neighbours along the way.

Mrs Arnesen phoned police, and an officer searched the house while another searched the street.

With no sign of Lucie, and a massive hunt for the toddler was launched at 7.30pm.

The force helicopter was called, 25 officers were drafted in from around Gwent as Newport council wardens and dozens of local residents searched bushes, woods and houses.

A distraught Mrs Arnesen waited for news while two police officers checked the house again to no avail.

Nearly two hours later, as Lucie's sister Carys, nine, went to bed, the two-year-old was found safe and well - tucked up in her top bunk bed.

Mrs Arnesen believes Lucie was buried under her duvet asleep as the massive search, likely to have cost thousands of pounds, went on around her.

"My first thought was that she had been disorientated and run out onto the road. But when we heard no news, I started to fear the worst.

"I searched the house upstairs but I was in a panic.

"But there were lots of people outside the house so there's no way she could have left and come back in unnoticed."

Mrs Arnesen praised police and thanked residents for their "fantastic" efforts.

"I think the whole of the area was out to help. It really was an amazing response."

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: "We believe the child did leave the house due to the search conducted by officers and the previous search by the mother.

"There is no subsequent investigation and it is not being treated as a criminal matter."