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Police 'making good progress' in search for teenagers who flew to Caribbean Police 'making good progress' in search for teenagers who flew to Caribbean
(about 1 hour later)
Police are making "good progress" in attempts to contact two teenagers who vanished from a boarding school in the middle of the night to fly to the Caribbean, a senior teacher at the school has said.Police are making "good progress" in attempts to contact two teenagers who vanished from a boarding school in the middle of the night to fly to the Caribbean, a senior teacher at the school has said.
Edward Bunyan and Indira Gainiyeva, both 16, are thought to have vanished at around 3am on Monday morning from Stonyhurst college in Clitheroe, Lancashire. Edward Bunyan and Indira Gainiyeva, both 16, are thought to have vanished at about 3am on Monday from Stonyhurst college in Clitheroe, Lancashire.
They apparently ordered a taxi together to Manchester airport, where they caught a flight to the Dominican Republic.They apparently ordered a taxi together to Manchester airport, where they caught a flight to the Dominican Republic.
The college's second master Matthew Mostyn said: "At the moment the police are working closely with the families and we are doing all we can to help with that. I believe that they are making good progress in making contact with them but I don't know what conversations have taken place. The college's second master, Matthew Mostyn, said: "At the moment the police are working closely with the families and we are doing all we can to help with that. I believe that they are making good progress in making contact with them but I don't know what conversations have taken place.
"I don't know whether they are on their way back to the UK. It's a matter between the police and the families. Clearly we are doing all we can to help and support them in that respect but it is a police matter." "I don't know whether they are on their way back to the UK. It's a matter between the police and the families. Clearly, we are doing all we can to help and support them in that respect but it is a police matter."
He insisted there was "excellent security" at the school but it was not designed to keep pupils in.He insisted there was "excellent security" at the school but it was not designed to keep pupils in.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We have excellent security, although it needs to be remembered that the prime purpose of that security is to keep intruders out of the building rather than to somehow try to imprison our students." He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We have excellent security, although it needs to be remembered that the prime purpose of that security is to keep intruders out of the building rather than to somehow try to imprison our students.
He added: "In all of these situations, where there's a will there's a way, but obviously there will be a full review of our procedures in every respect as soon as we can get that going. "In all of these situations, where there's a will there's a way, but obviously there will be a full review of our procedures in every respect as soon as we can get that going.
"The prime priority at the moment is to do everything we can to support the families and to help the police in their inquiries and to get our two pupils back home and reunited with their families as soon as we possibly can.""The prime priority at the moment is to do everything we can to support the families and to help the police in their inquiries and to get our two pupils back home and reunited with their families as soon as we possibly can."
He said the pupils had been checked on at night and were discovered to be missing in the morning.He said the pupils had been checked on at night and were discovered to be missing in the morning.
"Short of checking them at regular intervals during the night there's not a great deal more that we could have done in that respect," he said."Short of checking them at regular intervals during the night there's not a great deal more that we could have done in that respect," he said.
"But clearly we need to look at any ways that we can improve security to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again.""But clearly we need to look at any ways that we can improve security to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again."
Mostyn said any decisions on punishment for the missing students were "conversations for another day".Mostyn said any decisions on punishment for the missing students were "conversations for another day".
Victoria Bunyan, the widow of Edward's older half-brother Christopher, told the Daily Telegraph: "I don't approve at all but it sounds like he is having quite an adventure."Victoria Bunyan, the widow of Edward's older half-brother Christopher, told the Daily Telegraph: "I don't approve at all but it sounds like he is having quite an adventure."
She said she first heard of the disappearance on the news, adding: "It is going to get him in rather a lot of trouble, I am sure."She said she first heard of the disappearance on the news, adding: "It is going to get him in rather a lot of trouble, I am sure."
Fellow pupils took to social media – using the hashtags #WheresBunyan and #WheresIndira – to try to find news of their friends.Fellow pupils took to social media – using the hashtags #WheresBunyan and #WheresIndira – to try to find news of their friends.
A Lancashire police spokesman said: "We do know they are in the Dominican Republic but, as to their exact location, inquiries are continuing to try and trace them."A Lancashire police spokesman said: "We do know they are in the Dominican Republic but, as to their exact location, inquiries are continuing to try and trace them."
Stonyhurst college, a day and boarding school, was founded in 1593, and bills itself as one of Britain's leading Catholic boarding schools.Stonyhurst college, a day and boarding school, was founded in 1593, and bills itself as one of Britain's leading Catholic boarding schools.
It received an outstanding inspection report in April 2010 from Ofsted.It received an outstanding inspection report in April 2010 from Ofsted.
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