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Romanian tourist missing from London Underground 'found safe and well'

Vasile Belea was separated from his son in Stockwell station when the tube doors closed on him before he could enter the train carriage

Heather Saul
Saturday 18 January 2014 14:12 GMT
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Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of missing Russian tourist Vasile Belea, 63, who was last seen at Stockwell Tube station in south London at 10am on Tuesday.
Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of missing Russian tourist Vasile Belea, 63, who was last seen at Stockwell Tube station in south London at 10am on Tuesday. (PA)

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A Romanian tourist who went missing for three days after he was separated from his son on the Tube has been reunited with his family, the Metropolitan Police have said.

Vasile Belea, 63, was last seen at Stockwell underground station in south London at around 10am on Tuesday, but was found in the Southall area of west London at around 10.45pm on Friday.

Mr Belea daughter said her father wandered into Action Police Station after seeing a picture of himself in a newspaper. She told the MailOnline that he had approached police twice on the first day, but they could not understand him so he gave up approaching them.

"He saw his picture in the Metro newspaper and managed to get to the police last night", Ms Belea said.

Mr Belea was travelling into central London with his son but they became separated on the north-bound platform when the younger man got on to a train, and the doors closed before his father could join him.

He speaks little English, was not carrying any medication for his arthritis, and had an iPhone but no SIM card.

Mr Belea, who had an Oyster card and some money when he went missing, was visiting his son in the UK.

A police statement said: "Police were appealing for information to trace missing Romanian man Vasile Belea.

"Mr Belea was found safe and well in the Southall area at approx 10.45pm on Friday, 17 January. He has been reunited with his family.

"We would like to thank the public and the media for their assistance in publicising this appeal."

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