Girl, 16, has been missing for a week after failing to come home from school as stepfather fears she ‘may have been taken by County Lines drug gang’
- Andrea Bardas, 16, hasn’t been seen since December 21 when she went to school
- Her family in London fear she may have been taken by a County Lines drug gang
- Stepfather Philip said they have endured a desperate search to bring her home
- Her mother has handed out thousands of missing child leaflets in Manchester
The family of a missing 16-year-girl who fear she may have been taken by a County Lines drug gang have revealed they spent Christmas sleeping near the front door waiting for her to return.
Andrea Bardas hasn’t been seen since December 21 when she went to school in the morning and didn’t return home or contact her parents.
Her stepfather Philip said they have endured a desperate search to bring their daughter home safely, with him searching in Barnet, North London, and Andrea’s mother handing out thousands of missing girl leaflets in Manchester.
The family of a missing 16-year-girl who fear she may have been taken by a County Lines drug gang have revealed they spent Christmas sleeping near the front door waiting for her to return. Andrea Bardas hasn’t been seen since December 21 when she went to school in the morning and didn’t return home or didn’t contact her parents
Philip said: ‘She is a 16-year-old girl who has a happy family home and nothing to worry about in life other than the usual things a 16-year-old might be concerned with.
‘Christmas was two days of her parents sleeping in our lounge close to the front door in the hope that she would come back home.
‘We have never left the house empty at any time [so someone is there if she comes homes] and just want her to return safely.’
Andrea went to school on Friday, December 21 and left her house at 7.30am. She was supposed to be home by 1pm that day.
But it got to 4pm and her family saw she had left her mobile phone at home. Philip’s worst fear is that Andrea has been taken in by a so-called ‘County Lines’ drug gang.
Such gangs can use young and vulnerable people to help with their drug dealing networks across county lines.
‘I think that’s what may have happened,’ he said. ‘It all stems from social media. When they [young people] have social media at that age that is the catalyst for things like this.
Andrea (pictured) went to school on Friday, December 21 and left her house at 7.30am. She was supposed to be home by 1pm that day
‘We have been astounded by the social media activity of children today. Hundreds of pointless Snapchats, Instagrams. Most with what can honestly be said as useless and bad meanings.’
Philip said they had taken her phone away at 10pm and gave it back to her for school, while at weekends she is never away from the house for more than a few hours during the day.
‘She is a lovely daughter and has an incredible future ahead of her and we are so worried about her having been drawn into another world until this week we did not know existed,’ he said.
Police are in close contact with the family and Philip says they have been great, but now the family needs the wider public’s help to keep an eye out.
If Andrea is reading this, she can text or call charity Missing People on 116 000 for free at any time of the day or night. If you see her or know anything about her whereabouts, let police know on 101 or contact Missing People on 116 000.