People who knew kidnapped schoolgirl Shannon Matthews have said the case should be reopened in a Channel 5 documentary.

‘Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next’ features interviews with residents of Dewsbury Moor who believe that justice has not been fully served.

Shannon’s mother Karen and co-conspirator Michael Donovan were both jailed for the nine-year-old’s abduction.

They have since been freed and are living elsewhere.

But others close to the case believe neither Karen nor Donovan, who has learning difficulties, were clever enough to organise the failed plot.

Sheridan Smith (right) who played Julie Bushby (left), the woman who organised the Dewsbury community in the search for Shannon Matthews
Sheridan Smith (right) who played Julie Bushby (left), the woman who organised the Dewsbury community in the search for Shannon Matthews

The documentary, which airs at 10pm tonight on Channel 5, explores this.

Sentencing the pair Mr Justice McCombe implied that others may have been involved in the scheme.

But nobody else was ever charged.

Julie Bushby, who led a search to find Shannon when she was missing, remained friends with Karen after the kidnap was revealed to be a hoax.

Ms Bushby, who still lives on Dewsbury Moor, visited Karen for four years while she was in prison.

And while Karen has told Ms Bushby others were involved, she has urged the mum-of-eight to come clean.