This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/dec/16/missing-london-schoolgirls-police-step-up-search
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Police step up search for three missing London schoolgirls | Police step up search for three missing London schoolgirls |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Police have stepped up the search for three missing schoolgirls who are believed to be sleeping on buses and elsewhere on the London transport network. | Police have stepped up the search for three missing schoolgirls who are believed to be sleeping on buses and elsewhere on the London transport network. |
| The Metropolitan police issued a missing persons appeal for Fardowsa Hassan, 13, and two sisters, Abir Salah, 16, and Ahlam Salah, 15, who are missing for the second time in two months. | The Metropolitan police issued a missing persons appeal for Fardowsa Hassan, 13, and two sisters, Abir Salah, 16, and Ahlam Salah, 15, who are missing for the second time in two months. |
| The girls, from Wood Green in north London, are believed to be together. Fardowsa and Abir have been missing for 10 days, and Ahlam was reported missing on Saturday. They are not thought to have left the country and police do not expect them to try to do so, a Scotland Yard spokesman said. | The girls, from Wood Green in north London, are believed to be together. Fardowsa and Abir have been missing for 10 days, and Ahlam was reported missing on Saturday. They are not thought to have left the country and police do not expect them to try to do so, a Scotland Yard spokesman said. |
| Detectives believe the girls have been sleeping on buses and elsewhere on the transport network in the capital. “We won’t go into operational reasons but we’re fairly certain that they’re on the transport network and haven’t gone abroad,” the spokesman said on Wednesday morning. | Detectives believe the girls have been sleeping on buses and elsewhere on the transport network in the capital. “We won’t go into operational reasons but we’re fairly certain that they’re on the transport network and haven’t gone abroad,” the spokesman said on Wednesday morning. |
| It is the second time the girls have run away from home in four weeks. The three went missing in similar circumstances on 13 and 15 November and were found safe and well on 20 November. At that time, too, police said they believed the teenagers were sleeping on the transport network. | It is the second time the girls have run away from home in four weeks. The three went missing in similar circumstances on 13 and 15 November and were found safe and well on 20 November. At that time, too, police said they believed the teenagers were sleeping on the transport network. |
| Abukar Awale, a community worker in north-west London and a presenter on a UK Somali television channel, urged members of the Somalian community to help police find the girls. | |
| “Our priority right now is the safety of these girls and if anyone knows where they are or what they are thinking or any information at all, the best thing to do is contact the police,” he said. “I urge people to prevent any horrible thing from happening to these girls, like perhaps if someone has brainwashed them and taken them to Isis – that would be the worst nightmare scenario.” | |
| Awale said he was concerned that it was the second time in as many months that the girls had disappeared: “They are so young and so vulnerable. Unfortunately with the current climate, in the world we are living now, there are extremist people who are preying on vulnerable girls – we have to do whatever we can [to find them] and the sooner the better.” | |
| Scotland Yard described Fardowsa as being of Arab appearance, 5ft 5ins and of medium build. Abir is black, of Somali descent, 5ft 10ins and of medium build. Her sister Ahlam is 5ft 5ins and of medium build. | |
| “All the girls’ families are concerned for their welfare and urge them to contact them, or the police, to let them know they are safe and well,” Scotland Yard said. | “All the girls’ families are concerned for their welfare and urge them to contact them, or the police, to let them know they are safe and well,” Scotland Yard said. |
| Anyone with information is asked to contact Haringey missing persons unit on 101. | Anyone with information is asked to contact Haringey missing persons unit on 101. |