“Clearly the outcome we were hoping for…” the 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 disappeared in south London, the Metropolitan Police said. Police confirmed the 24-year-old, from Grays in Essex, was located following a series of public appeals for help in locating her. “It is clearly the outcome we were hoping for for the family of missing Mrs Owami Davies,” said Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney from the Met Police. “He was found outside the London area in Hampshire and is currently with specialist officers from my team and I can definitely say he is safe and well. “My officers worked around the clock following thousands of lines of inquiry to locate Owami Davies. “But I would like to thank the media and members of the public who have been so helpful in this case. “Along with my officers, we have worked tirelessly with Essex Police to help find Owami. “She appears to be in good health, she is in a safe place and she is not currently in the vulnerable state we thought she was in at the start of her disappearance,” added Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney. Below: reporter Anna Geary explains the discovery that led police to Owami Meeting Commander Paul Brogden said “all aspects” of the investigation should be reviewed to assess whether there is “any learning to be taken” from how it was handled. Despite the arrests of five people and numerous appeals for information, officers struggled to trace Ms Davies as they combed through 117 reported sightings of the 24-year-old. Detectives said on Monday that Ms Davies may be sleeping rough, with no money on her Oyster card and no access to her phone or bank cards. This was a working case, 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 managed to track her down on Tuesday. Ms Davies was last 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. He was found sleeping in a doorway in Clarendon Road, Croydon on July 6 while waiting for a friend, but told Metropolitan Police officers he did not need help and left. Her family had reported her missing, but Ms Davies was not marked as missing in the police database at the time. “Ecstatic with the result” Mr Brogden said this would be among the aspects of the case to be looked at when the inquest is reviewed. Both Mr Brogden and Mr Penney said they were “ecstatic” at the outcome of the case, with the Commander adding: “Most importantly, I’m happy for Owami’s mother and her brother.” Five people have been arrested and released in connection with her disappearance – two on suspicion of murder and three on suspicion of kidnapping – but police said there was no evidence that she had been harmed. Officers confirmed on Tuesday that all five had been released and remain on police bail, with a decision on what to do next following a “full account”. Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney added that the Met would speak to Owami Davies and try to establish what led to her disappearance. “We will speak to Owami and try to understand the reasons for how she disappeared, why she disappeared and if there was any concern over the days and weeks she was missing to worry us,” he said. Asked if Ms Davies was aware of the scale of the investigation to trace her, the officer said he believed she “probably was” given the publicity the case had attracted. Mr Brogden added: “Obviously we will be dealing with Owami compassionately from this point forward, with partner agencies, but here is great news.” Want a quick and special update on the biggest news? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out what you need to know…
