Owami Davies found alive and well in Hampshire nearly 50 days after going missing

23 August 2022, 16:45 | Updated: 24 August 2022, 15:49

Missing student nurse Owami Davies has been found alive and well in Hampshire, the Metropolitan Police confirmed today.

The 24-year-old, from Grays, Essex, left her family home on July 4 and was last seen just after midnight in Derby Road, West Croydon, south London, on July 7.

Ms Davies's family reported her missing to Essex Police on July 6 and the force handed the investigation to the Metropolitan Police on July 23.

The force today said Ms Davies had been located in Hampshire as a result of a call to police from someone who had seen media appeals around 10:30am.

Police said she appeared fit and well cared for and that she had spoken to her family. They added officers would speak to her more fully in due course about her welfare.

Met spokesman thanks media for help in finding Owami Davies

Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney, Specialist Crime, said: “This is the outcome we were all hoping and praying for. My team have been working around to clock to find Owami and we are immensely relieved she has been found.

"I would like to sincerely thank the media and public for sharing appeals to find Owami. Your help in cases like this is crucial and we are very grateful.

"I’d like to also thank colleagues at Essex Police for their invaluable assistance during this investigation.

"I would now politely request that the privacy of Owami and her family are respected at this time."

Commander Paul Brogden added: "We know there have been concerns raised around the search for Owami.

"We, alongside our colleagues in Essex Police, will be carrying out a review of all our actions from when Owami was first reported missing to ensure we have acted correctly and to identify any ways to improve our response to finding other missing people."

The Met said on Monday that Ms Davies arrived in West Croydon by train on the July 6 and believe it was to see a friend who lived in Clarenden Road, but she never met them.

Ms Davies was found asleep in a doorway on the road on July 6 after a woman raised concerns about her welfare, but she told Metropolitan Police officers that she did not need help and left.

At the time she had not been marked as a missing person.

Investigators are trawling through 117 reported sightings of Ms Davies, who had experienced periods of depression in the past for which she needed medical treatment, and had also used alcohol to deal with the condition.

Officers said that she had used different names, but would not reveal what they were.

Police said yesterday the 24-year-old student nurse has no money left on her Oyster card and no access to her phone or bank cards, suggesting she may be sleeping rough.

Five people have been arrested and bailed in connection with her disappearance - two on suspicion of murder and three on suspicion of kidnap - but police on Monday said there was no evidence that she had come to harm.

The Met issued a fresh appeal in its search for Ms Davies at the beginning of this week, saying she could be in Croydon and "in need of help".

On Thursday, British Transport Police (BTP) tweeted that the 24-year-old could still regularly be taking trains, may appear dazed or confused and may be seeking to engage with women travelling alone.

BTP said: "We know Owami Davies, 24, regularly uses the rail and tube network to travel from #Grays, Essex to the #Croydon area. Often via #WestHam and #WestCroydon stations. @metpoliceuk are looking at dates from 7th July 2022 onwards.

"Owami may still be regularly travelling by rail in a vulnerable state, appearing dazed or confused and possibly seeking to engage with other lone female travellers."

The Met was also forced to apologise on Monday after it was revealed photographs of the wrong woman had been issued.The photos showed a woman in a shop in Croydon - but the woman was not Ms Davies.

A spokesperson said: "The image was published in error and was removed as soon as this was realised.

"We have engaged proactively with the media throughout the investigation and have so far published nine appeals for information.

"Our efforts to find Owami are being led by a team of detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command who are experts in complex investigations.

"They are supported by resources from local policing teams and are working night and day to pursue every possible line of enquiry."Officers have recovered more than 50,000 hours of CCTV and viewed 10,000 hours as they work to confirm possible sightings and trace Owami’s movements.

"They continue to carry out additional patrols in the area she was last seen in an effort to identify new leads."We have engaged proactively with the media, issuing appeals and sharing CCTV footage and images of Owami as soon as we have confirmed sightings of her.

"From our first proactive appeal we made clear she was vulnerable and that we were concerned for her wellbeing. We also continue to support her family at what is a very difficult time."

The correct photos were issued afterwards.

Sangita Myska compares news coverage of Sarah Everard to Owami Davies