Police have launched a desperate search for an Australian waitress who vanished from a south London backpacking hostel two weeks ago (Image: PA)
A desperate search has been launched for an Australian waitress who disappeared on a backpacking trip in the UK. An Australian waitress on a backpacking holiday in the UK has mysteriously disappeared, with friends reporting “out of character” messages when they enquired about her whereabouts.
The hunt for 29-year-old Jessica Parkinson has intensified two weeks after she was last seen at a hostel in Bermondsey, south London.
Concerns escalated after Jessica failed to turn up for a scheduled restaurant shift, leading her worried boss to contact the Metropolitan Police. With no word from Jessica for a fortnight, her father in Queensland is fearing the worst.
She also sent a “cryptic” text to a colleague on the day she was absent from her job where she has been an employee for a year.
Restaurant owner Joe Walters told MailOnline: “Our manager (initially) sent a message asking where she was, and she responded that she thought she was in at 5pm and she would be right there. That was very out of character for her. She didn’t show up, but sent a cryptic message to another member of staff that evening. She didn’t mention missing work.”
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Jessica was last seen two weeks ago (Image: PA)
He added: “Then she didn’t show up to work on Thursday and then when she didn’t show up on Friday I reached out to her father in Australia. He told me the police had been alerted and is being dealt with by the missing persons unit.”
Jessica has been described as being 5ft4 with blue eyes and reddish, blonde hair.
She discussed plans to travel to Australia for the holidays and potentially extend her stay until March. However, her anticipated arrival has been met with silence; none of her family or friends in Australia have reported any contact with her,
Recent reports suggest Jessica faced eviction from a flat share in London, leaving her to seek accommodation in a hostel.
Jessica had been living in a hostel at the time of her disappearance (Image: PA)
Joe said: “She wasn’t very happy with that situation which I can imagine so we were trying to assist her with finding something and we hadn’t made any progress with that. She was stressed out about it at the time…. She’s very reliable and we have a close relationship. She is very clever, outgoing and friendly.”
Joe relayed the family’s ordeal, adding: “We are alright, struggling a bit. It’s difficult for her dad because he’s in Australia and with the time difference he’s not really sleeping in case he hears something.”
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Police are currently investigating the whereabouts of Jessica Parkinson, 29 after she was last seen on Sunday, 08 December in Bermondsey. Anyone who may have seen Jessica is encouraged to contact police quoting reference number, 01/1196494/24.”