A six-year-old girl who went missing in east London has been found safe and well by her grandmother, police have said. Beatrice Felicia was in the back seat of her father’s car when officers believe it was stolen on Tuesday evening.
Scotland Yard said that the girl’s father met a man on Leyton High Road at about 6.30pm with a view to selling the vehicle. “The man jumped into the car and drove away. The seller’s daughter was on the back seat of the car when it was taken,” officers said. The girl was found at about 9pm.
The Metropolitan police said: “At this stage, it is not known how and where Beatrice got out of the car, nor the exact location where she was seen by her grandmother. Neither Beatrice nor her grandmother speak English. They will be spoken to by police officers in due course.”
Officers are still trying to trace the suspect and the car. “The man who took the car is described as Asian, aged in his 30s, with short dark hair and a dark beard. He was wearing a dark jacket with white fur lining on the hood and green Nike TN trainers.” Police said no arrest has been made.
The Met issued a statement on Tuesday evening, saying: “The car is a brown VW Passat, registration number NG11 BMZ. It was last seen heading towards the Chadwell Heath area.”
Officers asked witnesses to call 999 immediately.