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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Charlie Moloney & Jamie Hawkins

New picture of missing teenager Louise Smith as search enters 11th day

A new picture has been released of missing 16-year-old Louise Smith as searches enter the 11th day.

The teenager was last seen at a skate park in Havant, Hampshire, where her phone was switched off meaning it could no longer be traced.

Friends of the teenager claimed Louise had said she was only going out for a short time at midday on Friday May 8, when she was expected to return home to spend the weekend with her boyfriend who had arrived to stay.

Since then, a huge missing persons operation has been underway to find her.

A man and a woman, both aged 29, who were arrested on Friday on suspicion of kidnap, have since been released on bail.

The search for Louise Smith is now in its 11th day (HNP Picture Desk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)

Police, professional searchers and volunteers could be seen scouring waters of Staunton Country Park in Havant and nearby woodland on Monday.

Searchers were joined by volunteers from the Isle of Wight Search and Rescue team, who travelled across the Solent to join teams from Hampshire, Berkshire, Sussex and Surrey, which included tracker dogs.

Police had encouraged people to stay away from Staunton Country Park, a listed Regency landscaped parkland and forest encompassing approximately 1,000 acres near Louise's home, as the officers conducted a search.

Louise was last seen at a skate park on May 8 (HNP Picture Desk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)

Detectives the teenager said that people who videoed VE Day celebrations in driveways and on the streets could have vital footage relating to the 16-year-old's disappearance.

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: "Officers searching for missing 16-year-old Louise from Havant are keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed anything significant, or captured anything on video, during VE Day celebrations on Friday May 8.

Louise Smith is missing from the Havant area (HNP Picture Desk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)

"Louise was last see at around midday on VE Day in Somborne Drive, Havant. She has not been in contact since. This is very out of character for her and both her family and police are understandably concerned for her welfare.

"We are keen to hear from anyone who was celebrating VE Day on their driveways in Leigh Park or who drove through the area on Friday May 8."

Chief Inspector Alex Reading said: "We know a lot of people would have been out on their driveways on VE Day and may have been filming the celebrations in their neighbourhood on camera or mobile phone.

Police search Staunton Country Park near Havant on Sunday (Portsmouth News/Solent News)

"If you were out celebrating or filming on VE Day in Leigh Park, we ask you to please take a look back over your footage to see if you captured Louise walking by.

"Perhaps you drove through the area on VE Day and saw someone matching Louise's description, or caught her on dashcam. Please check your dashcam footage from this day to see if it captured anything that could help our investigation.

Police officers and dogs search the country park (Portsmouth News/Solent News)

"I would like to thank the public for all their support, as I know this will be concerning for the community. We are still treating this as a missing person investigation and our priority is to find Louise and make sure she is safe.

"We can't be certain what she was wearing at the time of her disappearance, or what she is likely to be wearing now, but she was described as wearing black jeans, a black and white striped tee-shirt, black trainers and a black coat with a fur hood on Thursday May 7.

"Officers have been conducting extensive inquiries and searches in Leigh Park and Havant, and these inquiries will continue today in the Havant Thicket and Staunton Country Park areas."

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