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‘We want mum home’: CCTV appeal for Taiwo Balogun missing from Dartford for weeks

Family of 53-year-old are growing increasingly concerned for her welfare, police say

Andy Gregory
Wednesday 28 December 2022 15:18 EST
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CCTV footage shows moment missing woman was last seen

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Police have released CCTV footage of a woman who has been missing from Dartford for four weeks.

Taiwo Balogun, 53, was last seen on 1 December, and her family are desperately searching for information of her whereabouts as they grow increasingly concerned for her welfare.

There is no information to suggest that she has come to harm at the hands of anyone else, however, she is considered vulnerable and there is reason to believe she may be a risk to herself, according to the Metropolitan Police.

An investigation into her disappearance has confirmed that she was in a shop on Crayford Road at around 2:30pm on the day she went missing.

Scotland Yard has now released CCTV footage from the shop, near the junction with London Road, in the hope that it jogs the memory of anyone who was in the vicinity at the time, either on foot or in a vehicle.

When last seen, Taiwo – who is 5ft 9in tall – was wearing a black jacket with vertical stripes down the arms, dark trousers and black and white trainers, and was also carrying an orange carrier bag, police said.

Police and Ms Balogun’s family are urging anyone who thinks they were driving in the area on that Thursday afternoon to think back or check any dash cam footage if they have it. They are also asking business owners to check CCTV to see if she came into their premises or walked by.

They also urged Ms Balogun to get in touch and to let someone – even if it is not the police – know she is safe.

Taiwo Balogun was last seen on 1 December
Taiwo Balogun was last seen on 1 December (Metropolitan Police handout)

In a statement, Ms Balogun’s children said: “We are very worried about our mum. She is greatly loved and a massive part of our lives.

“We want nothing more than to have our mum at home with us safe and well. If anyone has seen or knows where she is, please can you make contact with the police. Any information could help find her.”

Any information, no matter how insignificant, may provide a vital clue as to where Ms Balogun may have gone and what may have happened to her, Scotland Yard said.

Information can be provided by calling 101, giving the reference 6085/01DEC.

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