Missing 13-year-old girl from Yorkshire found by police after men arrested

A missing teenager from Yorkshire who was thought to have travelled to London has been found safe and well by police.
Jonathan Pritchard
By Jonathan Pritchard
Published 30th Jun 2023, 07:12 BST

A joint investigation was launched by South Yorkshire Police and The Met Police in London to find Carmelle Hepi, 13, who went missing on Saturday (Jun 24). She was thought to have travelled alone to London and attended a house party in the capital.

Police initially said three men had been arrested on suspicion of kidnap in relation to her disappearance. The Met Police confirmed on Thursday that four men had been arrested in connection with the investigation. One man is still in custody and the other three have been released on bail.

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Carmelle, from Barnsley, was found by police officers on Thursday afternoon (Jun 29) at an address in south west London. More than 50 investigators had been working around the clock to ensure she was found safe and well.

13-year-old Carmelle Hepi from Barnsley has been found safe and well13-year-old Carmelle Hepi from Barnsley has been found safe and well
13-year-old Carmelle Hepi from Barnsley has been found safe and well

The Met Police said officers from South Yorkshire Police had scoured hours of CCTV footage and followed numerous other leads.

Supt Gabriel Cameron, South West Command, said:“We are delighted that Carmelle has been found safe and well and will soon be reunited with her family. The scale of this operation reflects our serious concerns about her welfare.“This is an example of how when the Met works as a team and with others we can achieve a great result.”