Girl missing since 1979 sought in police appeal

"If my sister is alive, I want her to know that she has never been forgotten," says Michelle, 47 years on from the disappearance of her sibling Suzanne Lawrence.

Suzanne, then 14, was reported missing in the summer of 1979.

She had left her home in Harold Hill, east London, on 27 July with then 13-year-old Michelle, after the pair told their mother they would be staying with friends in Dagenham.

Michelle returned home on 31 July after an argument with Suzanne and told police they had met three teenage boys at a fair in Highbury Fields, north London. The boys took them to a nearby squat but Michelle was unable to locate it on a visit to the area with the police.

At the time, officers thought Suzanne may have joined a travelling fair, but inquiries failed to locate her.

The case was not closed and detectives from the Met's East Area Missing Persons Unit, who have reviewed the case, are appealing for any information that could help them establish what happened to the schoolgirl.

Michelle, now called Hooper, said: "I was the last member of the family to be with my sister before she disappeared.

"We left home together and for a period we were both trying to survive away from home. Eventually I returned, but Suzanne did not.

"Many years have passed but not a day goes by without wondering what happened to her.

"Our mother is now elderly and, like me, has lived for decades without knowing what became of her daughter. No family should have to endure such uncertainty for so long.

"If anyone remembers seeing us, helping us, giving us somewhere to stay, or speaking to my sister during those days in the summer of 1979, please come forward. Even the smallest piece of information could be important.

"If my sister is alive, I want her to know that she has never been forgotten."

Det Ch Insp Kam Sodhi, who is leading the Met's investigation, appealed for information on the three teenage boys, believed to be aged between 14 and 17, who took the sisters to the squat.

"We are also particularly interested in hearing from anyone who knew the family, attended school with Suzanne, helped either child, or had any contact with them during the summer of 1979," Sodhi said.

"Relationships and circumstances change over time. Information that may once have seemed insignificant could now be vital to finding answers for her family.

"Someone knows what happened to Suzanne. If you have any information, however small, please contact us."

The force said it was keeping an open mind over the circumstances of Suzanne's disappearance, including whether she may have come to harm.

Suzanne would now be 61 and detectives have released two e-fit images of how she may look now.

She was described as a white girl, with dark brown straight hair, who was about 5'3" to 5'5" in height and of slim build. She spoke with a local, Essex accent, the Met said.

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