UP TO 40 police officers are now working on the search for teenager Jayden Parkinson, who has been missing for nine days.

Police yesterday launched a fresh appeal for information about the 17-year-old from the Didcot area.

Superintendent Christian Bunt, Oxford area commander, said the search was his top priority.

The missing girl had been staying at the One Foot Forward hostel in Iffley Road for less than a month before she went out and did not come back.

Supt Bunt said: “The concerning thing for us is we don’t believe she has access to any finance, a telephone, and fresh clothing. She has not left with a bag or anything.

“She has not made contact with anyone as far as we know, which is highly unusual.”

Supt Bunt said Jayden had not gone missing before and when she stayed with friends she always kept in contact with family.

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Jayden Parkinson. 

He said: “It is highly unusual in most missing persons inquiries for us to not to have any information.”

The officer said Jayden’s mother was “very upset”. He said: “As you would expect any mother to be she is very, very upset and very, very concerned.

“The whole family is completely engaging with us.”

Thames Valley Police’s Facebook appeal to find the teenager had yesterday had more than 57,000 hits.

Supt Bunt said police were doing all they could to trace her and said the force helicopter had been used, adding: “We have a substantial police operation around this.”

He later said: “This is not a criminal investigation. It is a missing person’s investigation.”

He added: “We have done a large amount of inquiries over the last week but unfortunately most of them are coming back negative and not leading us to Jayden’s whereabouts, which is a real concern for us.”

“We want to get out an appeal to Jayden that you are not in any trouble at all, we just want to hear from you.

“We don’t mind how we get the contact, we would just like to have the contact because we are concerned for her.

“Jayden is out there somewhere and we need the public’s help to locate her.

“She is a 17-year-old without the resources to take care of herself.”

Police believe she might be in Oxford, Didcot, or Reading.

But Supt Bunt admitted: “We don’t know where she is.”

  • Call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 if you see Jayden