Police have launched a desperate search for an Australian waitress who vanished from a south London backpacking hostel two weeks ago – before sending friends a series of ‘out of character’ text messages when they asked where she was.
Jessica Parkinson, 29, was first reported missing by her father on Sunday December 8th after failing to make contact with relatives on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Three days later, she failed to turn up for a 4pm shift at Texas Joes, the barbecue restaurant where she has worked for the last year.
When managers texted to ask where she was, she claimed to have got her start time wrong – and promised to be ‘right there’ by 5pm.
But she failed to show up as promised – and hasn’t been heard from since sending another colleague a ‘cryptic’ message later that evening.
She was reported missing for a second time last Friday after missing three shifts in a row.
Restaurant owner Joe Walters told MailOnline: ‘Jess was meant to work on Wednesday, and she was supposed to start at 4.
‘At around that time our manager sent a message asking where she was, and she responded that she thought she was in at 5 and she would be right there. That was very out of character for her.
Police have launched a desperate search for Australian waitress Jessica Parkinson (pictured) who vanished from a hostel in south London
The waitress was first reported missing by her father on December 8 after failing to make contact with relatives
She did not turn up to work at Texas Joes three days later. When asked where she was, she told managers she would be ‘right there’ by 5pm but never showed
Her manager Joe described her as ‘reliable’ as well as ‘very clever, outgoing and friendly’
‘She didn’t show up, but sent a cryptic message to another member of staff that evening. She didn’t mention missing work.
‘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.’
Jess had recently been dealing with a ‘stressful’ housing situation, having been evicted from a flat share and forced to live in St Christopher’s Inn hostel on Borough High Street.
Jessica, described as 5ft4 with blue eyes and reddish, blonde hair, had discussed travelling back to Australia for the holidays and staying there until March but none of her family or friends on the other side of the world have heard from her.
‘She’s very reliable and we have a close relationship,’ Joe added. ‘She is very clever, outgoing and friendly.‘
She had recently had struggles with her housing and had been evicted from a flat share so was living in a hostel.
‘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 was going back to Australia for the holidays and said she might stay there until March to get stuff together and then come back but no one in Australia has heard from her.
After colleagues had received a series of cryptic messages from Jessica, her manager reached out to her father in Australia
Jessica has been described as 5ft4 with blue eyes and reddish, blonde hair. She had previously talked about going back to her home country for the festive season and staying until March
The 29-year-old Jess had recently dealing with a ‘stressful’ accommodation situation having recently been evicted from a flat share
‘Her two sisters and her father have heard nothing. And I assume the police know she hasn’t used her passport.
‘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.’
Anyone with information regarding Jess’ whereabouts are urged to get in touch with the Met Police.
A spokesperson for the force 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.’
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