THE mother of tragic ME sufferer Carli Barry has been found alive after sparking a massive search.

Sheila Barry, of Huby, near Easingwold, who is said to be suffering from depression, disappeared yesterday morning.

North Yorkshire Police said Mrs Barry had spent the night out of doors and was undergoing a medical examination this afternoon.

She was found in a field after a local man phoned police to say he had seen a woman there.

Officers took her to Easingwold Police Station to await the arrival of a medical examiner.

Yesterday, friends and neighbours helped police search areas close to her home.

Huby resident Sandra Tomlinson said neighbours had been worried about Sheila, 65, since her husband, Geoff, was taken into hospital on Thursday.

She said Sheila had spent a lot of time sleeping and had not been keen to see anybody, although neighbours had checked on her daily.

They alerted the police after she was seen walking between Crayke and Brandsby at 10.15am yesterday, carrying a black bag.

Earlier today, Mrs Tomlinson, 62, said: "She has been depressed for some time, but it is the first time she has gone missing.

"Usually if she is unwell she will knock on a neighbour's door and ask for help.

"She is a very bubbly person and is always trying to help people."

Sheila has been campaigning tirelessly to raise awareness of ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) since the death of her daughter, Carli, in February 2001.

Carli went missing after a ten-year battle with ME and was found dead nine days later, only 250 yards from her home off Holgate Road, in York. She was 27.

Mrs Tomlinson said Sheila's depression worsened after Carli's inquest, which took place in March after an agonising four-year wait.

After Carli's death Sheila began conducting research into the suicide rate among sufferers.

She strongly believed Carli's death could have been prevented if better understanding of the disease and better support from the medical profession had been available.

Last year, she joined a national demonstration in London, presenting a petition in Downing Street calling for the Government to fund research into the underlying physical causes of the condition.

Updated: 13:35 Monday, August 08, 2005