Fears for safety of missing girl

Fears are growing over the safety of a 14-year-old girl who vanished on Christmas Eve.

Alexandra Penniston, a pupil at the Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth Park, was last seen by her parents when she left her Ealing home.

Alexandra may have been heading for Covent Garden or Brent Cross shopping centre, where her family said she liked to go.

However, concerns mounted when she did not return home and it was revealed she only had ?10 and her mobile phone with her. Detectives say her phone has not been used and she has failed to contact her family or friends. Her movements have been traced to Hangar Lane Tube station, where she went after leaving home at 5.20pm.

She was later spotted on a 207 bus bound for Shepherds Bush.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said Alexandra sometimes likes to speak with a Lithuanian accent.

"She likes to inform people that her name is Alexis or Alexia, who is 21 years of age and lives alone in High Barnet," he said. She is white, of thin build, with brown shoulder-length hair which was in a bun with a blue rose when she was last seen. She was wearing a white knee-length jacket, blue jeans and black shoes.

Appealing for witnesses to contact police, the spokesman added: "Anyone who has seen Alexandra or who knows of her whereabouts should contact the missing persons unit at Southall police station."