The man charged over the disappearance of a schoolgirl who vanished for more than 27 hours in the Borders is understood to be a “transgender” butcher.
Police earlier confirmed that Andrew George Miller was being interviewed by officers after the 11-year-old was found at an address in the Galashiels area on Monday night.
Miller is a local butcher who also identifies as a woman called Amy George. Police confirmed on Wednesday morning that Miller has now been charged in connection with the incident.
A team of forensic officers were spotted yesterday at the 53-year-old butcher’s home in the village of Gattonside, which is about three miles from where the primary pupil was last spotted.
A cordon was in place, with uniformed officers standing guard outside the plush detached property in Montgomerie Terrace.
Two cars parked in the driveway were being examined by investigators as inquiries into the youngster’s disappearance continued. A police car was also seen outside the butcher's shop in Melrose.
One local resident said: “Police arrived in Gattonside and closed off the street. A man was seen being put into the back of the police vehicle.
“It’s a really affluent area and is extremely quiet so this has all come as a bit of a shock. The person who lives there used to run the butcher shop in Melrose.
“They use a woman’s name now but were previously known as Andrew and are very well known in the community.”
Another resident of the street told the Record: “I woke up and there was just police everywhere. The person who lives there tends to keep to themselves though and doesn’t really speak to anyone. We never have any problems down here. It is very quiet normally but this is all a bit unnerving. ”
The 53-year-old arrested over the disappearance was identified as a man in a police press release yesterday.
On their Facebook profile, Miller lists their gender as “female”. On another Facebook profile under the name Amy George, they describe themselves as a “single female interested in single females”.
A police statement said: “A 53-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of an 11-year-old girl from Galashiels, who was reported missing on Sunday, February 5.
“The girl was traced at a property in the Galashiels area at about 9.30pm on Monday, February 6. Inquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.”
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, police confirmed that Miller had now been charged, and is expected to appear at Selkirk Sheriff Court tomorrow, Thursday, 9 February.
The girl, who the Daily Record is no longer naming, was reported missing by her worried family at about 8.30pm on Sunday when she failed to return home after being out with friends.
The “out-of-character” disappearance sparked a major emergency services response, with officers appealing for help from the public to find her. Police were joined by countless volunteers, Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team and the Borders Search and Rescue Unit, while a helicopter scoured the area.
Specialist water search teams trawled the River Tweed in the hunt for clues, while members of the public were urged to check their outbuildings and sheds for any sign of the missing youngster. Speaking at a press conference outside Galashiels police
station on Monday, area commander Chief Superintendent Catriona Paton issued a plea for information.
She stressed that officers were keen to locate her “safe and well” before reuniting her with her “distressed” family.
The youngster was spotted at about 5.45pm on Sunday at the Interchange in Galashiels town centre. Another potential sighting was then made about 10 minutes later, with the schoolgirl allegedly seen walking on Melrose Road, which leads towards the village of Gattonside.
Police publicly announced that the girl had been discovered “safe and well” at about 10.30pm on Monday while thanking everyone for their search efforts.
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