A manhunt is underway in the search for a missing schoolgirl who was last seen at a party with her friends.
Carmelle Hepi, 13, is from Barnsley but had travelled to a party in London 175 miles from her home at the weekend. At around 10pm on Sunday, June 25, it is believed she left the party with a group in a car.
Her worried family reported her missing to South Yorkshire Police just after midnight who passed it onto the Met Police. The Metropolitan Police have now confirmed three men have been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and remain in custody at this time.
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Carmelle is also believed to have attended addresses in Croydon, Lewisham, and Purfleet in Essex.
The Met Police said: "While there is no information at this time to suggest that Carmelle has come to serious harm, due to her age, vulnerabilities, and concerns around who she may be associating with, the investigation to locate her is being led by detectives from Specialist Crime."
Officers believe that she may be in the company of an older male and a previous social media appeal to locate her included an image of her taken in a car, believed to have been in the Peckham area on the Sunday.
Footage has also been released from the same day showing her entering the Primark in High Street, Croydon at around 4.45pm before leaving at around 5pm. It shows her in the pink and white jacket she may be wearing now.
The senior investigating officer is Detective Chief Inspector Chris Wood, who said: "Carmelle, I want you to know that you are not in any trouble whatsoever. Our one and only focus is making sure that you are safe and well.
"Please call 999 and speak to us, or go to a police station, and we will get you back home safely. Your family are desperately worried about you and while we're supporting them as best we can, they need to know that you're OK and to come home. They cannot rest until you’re back with them."
DCI Wood added: "My team are working round the clock, supported by our colleagues at South Yorkshire Police and local officers. As well as the arrests made, we have spoken to multiple people, searched a number of addresses and officers are conducting extensive CCTV enquiries, along with various other leads we are pursuing.
"Members of the public can help us locate Carmelle. If you have seen Carmelle, or you know her and have information about where she is or has been, it is imperative that you contact us. It doesn't matter if you're a friend who has heard or seen something in passing - you won't be in trouble. What matters is that you contact as you could have significant information to help us find a missing teenage girl."
You can call 101 or tweet @MetCC with any information 3258/25JUN23. For immediate sightings please call 999.
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