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Owami Davies: Missing student nurse found alive and well

Owami Davies worked as an A&E nurse during the Covid-19 pandemic

Student nurse Owami Davies has been found alive and well in Hampshire, the Met Police have confirmed.

A member of the public came forward following an appeal by the police which saw a huge public reaction and 117 possible sightings.

Ms Davies, who studied nursing at King’s College London, left her home in Grays, Essex, on July 4, and was last seen on CCTV in Croydon on July 7.

The Met said it would now review its investigation together with Essex Police.

Police have been working to retrace the 24-year-old’s steps, with around 50 officers trawling through 50,000 hours of CCTV footage.

The Met said she was discovered following the 118th reported sighting it received at 10:30 BST on Tuesday.

Ms Davies left her home in Grays, Essex, on July 4 and was reported missing to Essex Police two days later.

The force added that Ms Davies’ family had spoken to her and she appeared to be fit and well looked after.

Officers will speak to Ms Davies more fully about her welfare.

Det Ch Insp Nigel Penney, who led the investigation, said it was “the outcome we were all hoping and praying for”.

He said: “I would like to say that she has been found safe and well outside the London area in the county of Hampshire and she is currently with specialists from my team.

“She looks in good health, she is in a place of safety, and not currently in the vulnerable state we were led to believe she was at the beginning of her disappearance.”

A service was previously held by the chaplains of King’s College London and Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital

Both Commander Paul Brogden and DCI Penney said they were “ecstatic” at the outcome of the case, with the Met’s commander adding: “More importantly I am happy for Owami’s mother and her brother.”

Mr Brogden also said that “all aspects” of the investigation will be reviewed to assess whether there are “any lessons we need to take” from how it was handled.

The pair added officers would try to “compassionately” establish how and why Ms Davies disappeared, saying she was “probably” aware of the scale of the search for her, given the publicity.

Before she went missing, Ms Davies was finishing her studies at King’s College London and had an interest in researching diseases.

She had secured a job with Guys St Thomas Trust (GSTT) after working as an A&E nurse during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Her colleagues at GSTT welcomed the news she was safe, tweeting: “We are delighted that our colleague Owami has been found and is safe. Thank you to everyone who helped find her.”

Ms Davies had left her family home in Grays, Essex, on July 4 after telling her mother she was going to the gym.

She was found asleep in a doorway in Clarendon Road, Croydon, on July 6 while waiting for a friend, but told Met officers she did not need help and left.

Her family had previously reported her missing, but Ms Davies had not been marked as a missing person in the police database at the time.

Detectives said on Monday that Ms Davies may be sleeping because she has no money on her Oyster card and no access to her phone or debit cards, but added that they were keeping an open mind to all possibilities.

Mrs Davies was found asleep in a doorway in Clarendon Road on July 6

Five people were arrested and jailed in connection with her disappearance – two on suspicion of murder and three on suspicion of kidnapping – but the Met later said there was no evidence she had come to harm.

Officials confirmed on Tuesday that all five were still on police bail and a decision on what happened next to them was a “full debrief”.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it was “assessing the available information to determine what further action is required” regarding the police investigation.

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