Fears grow over girl of 14 missing for a week

It shows Esme Smith walking down steps near Charing Cross station in London at about 5.30pm on Thursday September 12 – the day she vanished.

Detectives were yesterday growing increasingly concerned for Esme, who parted from friends after school in her home town of Farnham, Surrey, telling them she was going to Woking 16 miles away and then on to a party.

Instead the teenager changed out of her school uniform and caught a train from Aldershot just after 4pm, and arrived at London Waterloo about an hour later.

Esme, described as an “extrovert, vivacious, normal” teenager, has not been seen by her family or made contact with them since.

Detective Inspector Martin Stables, of Surrey Police’s missing persons unit, said: “It’s now over a week since Esme went missing and it is an anxious time for the family as they wait for news. I am hoping these latest pictures may draw more information from the public about where Esme may be.”

As the search continued, more than 4,000 people have “liked” a Facebook page called Find Esme Smith to raise awareness of her disappearance.

Her sister Sian appealed for her safe return, saying: “We just want her back”, adding: “She’s not in trouble. We are incredibly worried.”

Esme is a pupil at All Hallows Catholic School at Farnham in Surrey.