Megan Stammers and teacher Jeremy Forrest found 'hand-in-hand' in Bordeaux The officer said: "The schoolgirl was safe and well, while the man with her was also in good health." Forrest and his pupil had been in Bordeaux since at least Wednesday, when a witness contacted police to say they had been seen in the city, according to the local public prosecutor, Agnes Aubouin. The British authorities had issued a European Arrest Warrant for Forrest for an alleged offence of child abduction, although there is no suggestion that Megan did not leave voluntarily. Forrest, a maths teacher at Bishop Belll Church of England School in Eastbourne, East Sussex, is likely to be held in France for a number of days pending an expected request for his extradition back to the UK. Bordeaux in south-west France, known for its fine wines and cuisine, is very popular with British holidaymakers and expats. Megan's stepfather, Martin Stammers, 43, said he was "thrilled to bits, just over the moon" that his missing stepdaughter had been found. He said he felt "pure elation, pure relief" that she was OK, telling Sky News: "As time goes on you despair even more, but knowing Megan, knowing the girl she is, I always had that belief that she was strong enough within herself to remain safe and well." Mr Stammers, from Eastbourne, said there was no indication of when his stepdaughter would return to the UK and thanked the police and his family's supporters who helped maintain publicity of the case via Twitter and Facebook. He added: "I'm just happy. I just know in my heart that she's safe and well and she will be back with us very soon. We have our daughter back, it's just such joy. The schoolgirl's natural father, Barry Wratten, 41, who separated from her mother, Danielle Wilson, when Megan was a baby, choked back tears as he hailed the news from France. He said: "The past week has been absolutely terrible. You don't want to say it, but sometimes you think the worst. So this is wonderful news. It's brilliant. I can't say how relieved I am. I just want her back in the UK now with her family. My message to Megan would be that I love her very much, and that I am so glad she is safe. I'd also like to say that I am not angry with her at all - we all do silly things when we are young without thinking about the consequences. It might not seem like it to Megan right now, but this is the right thing and is for the best. But the main thing is that she is coming home. I am so, so pleased  Forrest's parents, Jim and Julie Forrest, said they were relieved that the "ordeal" of all the families involved was finally over. The couple, from Petts Wood in South London, said in a statement: "We are pleased that Megan and Jeremy have been found safe and well. This has been an ordeal for all the families concerned. We would like to thank Sussex and the French police as well as the British media for their assistance. We are relieved that the search is finally over and everyone can now focus on a safe and secure return for them both. Megan and Forrest were last seen boarding a ferry from Dover to Calais on Thursday last week, sparking an international manhunt. Their disappearance sparked an international manhunt and plunged Bishop Bell School into controversy. Friends said it had been "obvious" that they were together and that Megan was always "hanging around" the maths teacher's classroom. Forrest, a married amateur musician from Ringmer, near Lewes, had been under investigation and was expected to be suspended last Friday, according to reports. One school friend described how Megan had been "really excited" about her burgeoning relationship with Forrest but expressed concerns about her safety, describing her friend as someone who could be "quite vulnerable."