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Fatuma Kadir: Missing 11-year-old girl from Bolton found ‘safe and well’ in London

Police thank public after happy ending to ‘every parent’s worst nightmare’

Peter Stubley
Saturday 24 July 2021 19:33 BST
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Video: Police appeal for help tracing 11-year-old Fatuma Kadir

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An 11-year-old girl who travelled from Greater Manchester to London without telling her parents has been found “safe and well”.

Police had appealed for help tracing Fatuma Kadir, who was reported missing after leaving her home in Bolton on Thursday evening.

She was found in London on Saturday and will now be reunited with her family.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Rollinson, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “We are delighted to confirm that Fatuma Kadir has been found safe and well.

“She was found in London earlier today so we are now working to reunite her with her parents, who are as you can imagine, incredibly relieved.

“The last couple of days have been every parent’s worst nightmare, so I know they will agree with me when I say a huge thank you to everyone who has shared our appeal to find Fatuma. Your help has been invaluable, so thank you.

“We would now ask that their privacy be respected, so they can be together as a family.”

Fatuma’s parents, Asheem and Misra Kadir, had said they were in a “state of shock” following the 11-year-old’s disappearance.

They had reported her missing just before 10.45pm on Thursday, 22 July.

The investigation revealed Fatuma boarded a train from Manchester Piccadilly to Birmingham New Street at 9.27pm that night.

She then caught another train to London Euston, arriving at 1.13am on Friday, and was last seen leaving the station alone a few minutes later.

Police said Fatuma had told her two best friends or her family of any plans to travel to London.

However she had previously expressed an ambition to set up a clothing business at Tower Bridge, officers said.

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