THE parents of a 14-year-old girl who has not been seen for a month have revealed she has gone missing before – but fear she has been snatched this time around.
Shelley Pratt, from South Norwood, was last seen at approximately 3.30pm on Thursday November 8 getting off the bus at Crown Point.
Since then there has been no contact from Shelley to any of her family or friends and her parents fear someone has taken her and have asked them to let her go.
CCTV images of Shelley at George Street tram stop at 9pm on the day she went missing have been released in the hope they will jog someone's memory.
Her mother Lisa said: "It is my mother's instinct that someone has got her. If they do I just want to tell them to let her go so she can come home and see her brothers and sisters again."
Shelley, the fourth of six children and a Westwood Language College student, went missing for three days last year but has never been gone for this long.
Her father Tony explained: "Last year she was abducted by a 19-year-old boy. The police found her under his bed. After that she was scared to go out and I would drop her off and pick her up from school but then she told me I had to let her go on her own again.
"Her Facebook hasn't had anything on it and her friends don't know anything either. She doesn't have a phone because I snapped it when she was talking to boys last year.
"I said she could have another one when I could trust her again.
"That's why this came out the blue because she's been so good for three months."
Mrs Pratt said: "She is a big daddy's girl. The last time I saw her was that morning.
"She got into my bed about 6.30am and then I woke her up for school at 7. She had a wash and met her cousin for school. We know she went to school, she seemed happy, she seemed fine, this is completely out of the blue. We need her back."
Mr Pratt said: "She is strong as an ox, she's a big girl, she's strong willed. We just want her back, I want to give her the biggest kiss and cuddle she's ever had, I need that too.
"Her brothers miss her, the youngest think she's on holiday but the older one knows something's not right.
"I've been out every night on my bike looking for her, whether it's snowing or raining I'm there. She loves Christmas, she'd never miss it.
"We just want her home."
Shelley's schoolmates are missing the 'lively' teenager. Senior deputy head of Westwood Girls' College Sam Palin said: "Shelley is a lively, energetic student for whom the college has great affection. We have been working closely with the police to help their investigation. "Her classmates in her PE BTEC Group are desperate to see her back in school as she is a good all-rounder. "Her form tutor, tutor group and head of house are really missing her and are deeply concerned about her safety. Our hearts go out to her family at this time." Police have urged people to be 'nosy neighbours' in a bid to find missing Shelley. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Dunne said: "What has raised my concerns is the fact that we have had absolutely no contact with her. She is a vulnerable girl. The longer no one hears from her the more important it becomes to get information. "I am appealing for the public to be nosy neighbours. Look at people going in and out of flats and houses. I am working on the basis that she is with someone. "Please take a good look at the image we have circulated. She could look 16, 17 or even 18 years old." Shelley's Oyster card, which she told her parents had been lost a few days before she went missing, was used three to four hours after she went missing. DCI Dunne said: "We don't know if it was her using it, children swap their cards all the time, so the last reported sighting was Shelley getting off the bus with some friends." Anyone with information about Shelley's whereabouts is urged to call the incident room on 020 8721 4906.
