Police launch public appeal for missing Lambeth student 10 months after disappearance

The mysterious disappearance of a school pupil has prompted a police appeal for information, 10 months after she was reported missing.

On March 9 last year Saidatu Jalloh was reported as a missing person by staff at her school in Lambeth.

Saidatu, who was aged 14 at the time but would now be 15, had been registered at the school since January 24 last year and little was known about her.

When the school was informed that she had left the area and would not be returning, they raised their concerns with the police.  The school’s name is not being officially disclosed.

Officers visited the address provided on Saidatu’s school registration. They were told she had been picked up by her mother days earlier and that she was no longer staying there.

The Met claim there was no evidence at the time to disprove this account.

Officers attempted to locate Saidatu’s mother based on the details provided, but no record of her could be found.

Further checks also found no record of anyone matching Saidatu’s name and details entering the UK.

Police say it is a cause for concern, but not necessarily an indication that she is at risk.

Since she was reported missing in March, Saidatu’s details and photos have been circulated to the Met, City of London and British Transport Police officers, and she continues to be marked as a missing person on the Police National Computer.

In April, her information was shared with all Met schools officers to ensure that were she to register at a different school, even under another name, there would be a good chance of her being recognised.

In December, a routine review of the case determined that having exhausted most realistic lines of enquiry, Saidatu’s image should be published to seek the public’s assistance.

A police spokesman said: “This remains a live investigation. We are keen to trace Saidatu to confirm she is safe and well and that she is in the care of appropriate adults.

“We want to hear from anyone who recognises the photo that has been shared on social media, or anyone who has other information about Saidatu’s whereabouts.”

Please call 101, providing the reference 22MIS008040. Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

The Met says that of the 45,240 missing person reports received last year, 95 per cent were resolved with the missing individual returning or being found within seven days.

And 2,200 of those reports were for individuals missing from the Central South Command Unit which includes Lambeth and Southwark. That is an average of six reports a day.

(Picture: The Met)