Fears grow for university student missing for five days

Megan Roberts was last seen at the Popworld bar on George Hudson Street in York Photo: PA By Miranda Prynne, News Reporter

8:09AM GMT 28 Jan 2014

Police are searching for a missing university student whose disappearance five days ago after a night out with friends has been described as “very out of character”.

Fears are growing for Megan Roberts who was reported missing by her mother on Monday morning after concerned friends raised the alarm.

The 20-year-old student at York St John University, who is originally from Wetherby, West Yorks, vanished on a night out in York city centre last week.

She was last seen at about 2am on Thursday in Popworld bar on George Hudson Street about a mile from the home of university chef Claudia Lawrence whose disappearance almost five years ago remains a mystery.

After leaving the bar the group “went their separate ways” and Miss Roberts never returned home.

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There has been no sign of activity on the usually “prolific” Facebook user’s profile since last Wednesday night.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “Nobody has heard from Megan since, which is very out of character and officers are very concerned for her safety.

"Police are appealing for anyone who has seen Megan since the early hours of Thursday morning or knows where she is now, to contact them urgently.

"They are also appealing to Megan herself to contact her friends, family or the police to let them know she is safe."

Friends tried phoning and texting the art history student but after receiving no reply alerted her mother Jackie Roberts.

Ms Roberts wrote on Facebook: “Anyone with any info please get in touch. We’re worried sick.”

Miss Roberts’ friend Rockie Alanah Thorley wrote on Facebook yesterday: “Her phone has been off since Wednesday night. We all assumed she went home for the weekend or went to see her ex and her phone had died.

“When all her friends spoke last night and realised nobody had got in touch we became concerned as it is very out of character for her. So we contacted her mum.

“She then didn’t turn up to her lecture this morning and we reported it. It’s been discovered that it is likely she didn’t go to her own house on Wednesday night.”

Others discussed her disappearance on Twitter.

One wrote: “I didn’t leave with her but she was with people when I left. I just don’t understand.”

Inspector Andy Farrar of North Yorkshire Police said officers were trying to trace Megan using CCTV footage.

He said: “At the moment it is purely a missing from home enquiry, there is nothing to suggest anything else. We are in the early stages of the investigation.

“We are searching the local area in relation to the places where she lives and who she was out with. We are doing the preliminary investigation and speaking to the last people she saw.”

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Police searching for missing university student focus on river

Megan Roberts was last seen at the Popworld bar on George Hudson Street in York Photo: PA By Hayley Dixon, and agencies

6:43PM GMT 28 Jan 2014

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Police hunting for a missing university student are focusing their search on the river which runs through the city where she disappeared.

Megan Roberts, 20, was last seen on CCTV in the early hours of Thursday morning going toward the bridge with a group of friends, but when they appeared on the other side of the river she was not there.

The York St John University student has not been seen since but friends and family only realised yesterday that she was missing.

Police are searching the bank of the River Ouse in York and are reviewing CCTV footage.

Only a week before she disappeared Miss Roberts had tweeted that she and a friend Rockie Thorley, who was also out her on the night she disappeared, were followed by a man around the pubs of York, who then sat beside them staring.

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On January 16 she wrote: "Can't believe a guy just followed us from one pub to another and came and sat down next to us, staring at us like it was completely fine"

Miss Thorley continued the thread: "Megan has gone to the toilet and this creepy guy keeps staring at me and winking, probably gonna get murdered tonight and it's only 8pm yolo"

And then: "Me and Megan got up to leave and creepy guy asked us where we were going, even though he hasn't spoken to us all night....Ergh creep"

Later still: "Sat in a different pub and the creepy guy has just turned up and sat with us and said 'can't believe you here'. Wtf go away creep"

Then lastly: "The bar staff have just noticed our stalker and come to tell us that they won't be serving him anymore and not to worry we are safe :') cute"

Miss Roberts was reported missing by her mother yesterday morning after a friend raised concerns, North Yorkshire Police said.

A force spokeswoman said she was last seen at around 2am on Thursday in the Popworld bar in George Hudson Street, having gone out with friends on Wednesday evening.

CCTV footage shows Miss Roberts with a group of people on the corner of Rougher Street near Lendal Bridge at around 2.20am. The group were seen a short time later at the other side of the bridge, on Museum Street, but the student was not with them, police said.

Officers are attempting to trace her movements after she was last seen on CCTV.

Police are searching the riverbank in the city centre and an underwater search unit has been deployed, a force spokeswoman added.

Superintendent Phil Cain said: "We are very concerned for Megan's welfare and are urging the public to help us establish her movements in the early hours of Thursday 23 January 2014.

"As with all missing persons inquiries we are doing everything we can to locate Megan and make sure she is safe and well.

"Her disappearance and the fact that she has not had any contact with her family and friends for almost five days now is extremely unlike her and adds to our concern.

"Megan's family are understandably very distressed by her disappearance and I would appeal for anyone who has any information at all about where she might be to get in touch with the police as soon as possible."

Miss Roberts is described as around 5ft 6in and of medium build with long dark brown hair. When last seen she was wearing a cream knee-length dress which had large brown and orange flowers on it and black plimsolls-type shoes.

Police said that specially trained officers are supporting the missing student's family, and have dismissed the suggestion that she was being stalked.

Superintendent Phil Cain said: "We are exploring with friends who are aware of a Twitter message, which was commenting around a male in a bar where Megan was at the time.

"Friends are convinced there was nothing to suggest Megan was being stalked at that stage. We do not believe that is connected to Megan's disappearance.

"At this moment in time there's no suggestion of any criminality whatsoever and we are treating this as a missing from home."

Among those who have expressed their concern for the Miss Roberts is Peter Lawrence – the father of Claudia Lawrence, the university chef who went missing in York in 2009.

Mr Lawrence's spokesman, Martin Dales, said: "I know Peter's thoughts and prayers are very much with the family and friends of Megan Roberts.

"The 100-plus hours between when she was last seen early last Thursday morning and the reporting today makes it very difficult for those looking for her, whether police, family or friends as the first few hours of being missing are critical.

"We hope that she, and any member of the public with information, will make contact if she can – 116 000 is the Freephone number of Missing People who will confidentially pass on messages – and that she will return safely to her family and friends as soon as she can."

No trace of Miss Lawrence has ever been found and detectives believe she has been murdered.

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