Mandy was 12 when she first ran away from home. She left with some clothes and a mobile phone, and headed for the local town centre. After a few hours, it got dark, and Mandy wasn't sure what to do. "I was okay at first, but then it got later and the streets cleared, and I was on my own," she recalls. "I didn't really know who to speak to. Who do you tell that you're on your own?"
Mandy is one of more than 13,000 children under 16 who ran away in the UK last year, according to The Children's Society. Like many runaways, Mandy returned home after a few days - but left again six months later.
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