Owami Davies: Student nurse found 'safe and well' in Hampshire after going missing in south London
'Clearly the outcome that we were hopeful for...' Met Police told reporters at a press conference
Missing student nurse Owami Davies has been found 'safe and well' in Hampshire more than seven weeks after she went missing in south London, the Metropolitan Police said.
Police confirmed the 24-year-old, from Grays in Essex, had been located after a string of public appeals to help track her down.
"The is clearly the outcome that we were hopeful for the family of the missing lady Owami Davies," said Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney from the Met police.
"She was found outside the London area in the county of Hampshire and she is currently with specialist officers from my team and I can definitely say she is safe and well.
"My officers have worked around the clock following thousands of lines in enquiry in order to locate Owami Davies.
"But I would like to thank the media and members of the public who assisted so much in this case.
"In conjunction with my officers we have worked tirelessly with Essex Police to help find Owami.
"She looks in good health, she’s in a place of safety, and not currently in the vulnerable state that we were led to believe she was in at the start of her disappearance," Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney added.
Below: reporter Anna Geary explains the breakthrough which led police to Owami
Met Commander Paul Brogden said "all aspects" of the investigation are to be reviewed to assess whether there is "any learning that we need to take" from how it was handled.
Despite the arrests of five people and numerous appeals for information, officers were struggling to locate Ms Davies as they trawled through 117 reported sightings of the 24-year-old.
Detectives said on Monday that Ms Davies could be sleeping rough, with no money on her Oyster card and no access to her phone or bank cards.
This was one working hypothesis, the Met said, adding that officers were keeping an open mind to all possibilities.
But after a member of the public responded to a media appeal, they were able to locate her on Tuesday.
Ms Davies had last been seen on July 7 after leaving her family home in Grays, Essex on July 4 having told her mother she was going to the gym.
She was found asleep in a doorway in Clarendon Road, Croydon on July 6 while waiting for a friend, but told Metropolitan Police officers that she did not need help and left.
Her family had reported her disappearance but Ms Davies had not been marked as a missing person on the police database at that time.
'Ecstatic at the outcome'
Mr Brogden said this would be among the aspects of the case to be looked at in the review of the investigation.
Both Mr Brogden and Mr Penney said they were "ecstatic" at the outcome of the case, with the Met Commander adding: "More importantly I’m pleased for Owami’s mother and her brother."
Five people were arrested and bailed in connection with her disappearance – two on suspicion of murder and three on suspicion of kidnap – but police said there was no evidence that she had come to harm.
Officers confirmed on Tuesday that all five were released and are still on police bail, with a decision on what will happen next following a "full debrief".
Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney added the Met will speak to Owami Davies and try to establish what led to her disappearance.
"Owami will be spoken to and we'll try to fathom reasons as to how she disappeared, why she disappeared, and if there was any concern around the days and weeks while she was disappeared for us to be concerned about," he said.
Asked whether Ms Davies was aware of the scale of the search for her, the officer said he believed she "probably was" given the amount of publicity the case attracted.
Mr Brogden added: "Obviously we'll be dealing compassionately with Owami from this point onwards, with partner agencies, but great news here."
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