Re: Missing Tia Sharp

by **Nina** 07.08.12 17:20

tigger wrote:Who needs 'missing people charity' for this? The police is doing their job as only they know how.
This is a genuinely missing person, not a girl who's run away from home - otherwise she'd surely have at least her bus pass with her.

I agree that the t-shirt can be done in minutes in various outlets. But a candle vigil is pretty tacky - she's not declared dead after all. All this second hand emotion is extremely distasteful especially when done in public. Burning candles at home, in church fine. Getting your picture taken wearing the t-shirt, holding a candle and posing for the papers is beyond tacky.

Incidentally I read somewhere that her 'granddad' is 37? Not substantiated I hasten to add.

I agree tigger, it is the Princess Di cryfest again. Nothing wrong with quietly entering a church and lighting a candle, I have done that many times for n=many reasons, but it is a personal thing, not a photo opportunity, or shouldn't be imo. yes support the family, take some flowers, pop in for a cuppa, offer to do the supermarket shop, whatever will help the family, but these have been media events and it is tacky imo.
And yes the 'Grandad' is 37, he is the 'step Grandad'

by **PeterMac** 07.08.12 17:20

Interesting how Bruntie is making it very clear that the family are still the focus. I wonder why he has finally come to realise that the family is always the focus.
I do hope they let them have a press conference.

by Guest 07.08.12 17:22

The "granddad" is her grandmother's partner, not her biological grandfather, so yes his age could well be 37.

I'm just wondering when it became the norm in missing person cases for T-shirts with photos and messages to be printed in record time and worn even by people with no connection to whoever is missing.

Did it happen with the Soham girls?

by **PeterMac** 07.08.12 17:49

One of the other things that bothers me is all that boll***s of the candelit vigil where they walked the alleged route from her last alleged leaving the house to the alleged bus stop where she allegedly caught an alleged bus, wearing the official authorised T shirt and carrying the official authorised candle.

Led by... the grand mother's boyfriend. Who was allegedly the last person to see her alive and who has given all the vital information of here last movements, even though he can have absolutely no idea of what she did after she allegedly left the house.

Watch and wait. Keep your eyes on the family. Don't absolutely exclude anything else just yet, but don't take your eyes off the family for an instant.

by **tigger** 07.08.12 18:19

I already pictured you checking out the TV appeal, Petermac.
Perhaps there's already a shrine started at the bus station, or the tram stop - be interesting to know when she was reported missing exactly...

by **Nina** 07.08.12 18:34

Jean wrote:The "granddad" is her grandmother's partner, not her biological grandfather, so yes his age could well be 37.

I'm just wondering when it became the norm in missing person cases for T-shirts with photos and messages to be printed in record time and worn even by people with no connection to whoever is missing.

Did it happen with the Soham girls?

I cannot remember re the Soham girls Jean, but certainly in the Mathews case they wore them.

by **sharonl** 07.08.12 18:42

AskTheDogsSandra wrote:Is Kate McCann doing anything about this young girl in her role as Ambassador for Missing People?

I hear that the Sun has already offered a very good reward.

I have every confidence that Ambassador Kate will be the one find her, safe and sound. winkwink

by Guest 07.08.12 18:44

Oh yes certainly in that case Nina but I was wondering about genuine instances where the parents were in no way responsible for what happened.

Here's a link to a clip of an interview with the chief executive of the Missing People charity - thank goodness he didn't send his new ambassador instead!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Perhaps, as Sharon suggests, she is actively involved in the search.......

by **Nina** 07.08.12 19:01

Jean wrote:Oh yes certainly in that case Nina but I was wondering about genuine instances where the parents were in no way responsible for what happened.

Here's a link to a clip of an interview with the chief executive of the Missing People charity - thank goodness he didn't send his new ambassador instead!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Perhaps, as Sharon suggests, she is actively involved in the search.......

Well that will be a novelty.

by The Shelfstacker 07.08.12 19:02

So, and bearing in mind we have more CCTV cameras in this country than anywhere else in the world, the last time she was recorded on CCTV was not Friday when she allegedly disappeared but Thursday. She was seen in a Co-op not far from her grandmother's house with her grandmother's partner, a non-biologically-related man of 37. Just them two.

She had gone to spend the weekend with her grandmother from her mother's house in Mitcham. Nearby but not walking distance. On the Friday it appears that she was alone in the house with the same grandmother's partner. It's interesting to note that the grandmother does not say explicitly that she saw Tia in the house on Friday, just that she was not there when the girl allegedly went out. No one else positively sighted her apart from the grandmother's partner, though I remain to be corrected if I overlooked this.

The grandmother's partner says Tia was going to the Whitgift Centre to meet some friends and buy some shoes. Yet he also says he had the hoover on and didn't hear her when she said goodbye and went out. He says he gave her £10 though quite how one could expect to buy a pair of shoes out of that escapes me, especially as her Zip Oyster card was left in the house. That card would have given her free bus travel. Without it she would have had to pay £2.30 out of her £10.

There is no logical reason for her to leave the Zip card behind especially as this trip would appear to have been planned with friends. She did not rush out of the house and forget it.

Similarly her mobile phone. She was allegedly meeting friends at the Whitgift Centre. She knew this. She would have needed her phone to liaise. That's without even considering the plausibility of any 12 year old in possession of a mobile phone during the summer holidays not having it about their person. Hers was left on charge at her grandmother's house.

Not one bus driver in the area remembers her getting on their bus. All buses have CCTV yet she appears on none. She's not on any street CCTV camera nor on any at the Whitgift Centre.

I would surmise that she has never left the immediate vicinity of the gransmother's house and I would pay close attention to the events of Thursday evening. Just my feeling.

by Spaniel 07.08.12 19:20

Jean wrote:The "granddad" is her grandmother's partner, not her biological grandfather, so yes his age could well be 37.

I'm just wondering when it became the norm in missing person cases for T-shirts with photos and messages to be printed in record time and worn even by people with no connection to whoever is missing.

Did it happen with the Soham girls?

Not T-shirts, though Wells wrote a book and appeared in a programme. I didn't read the book but watched the programme. I couldn't see the point frankly, as all it did was point out how well they'd coped and prospered since.

Two houses for the parents, another for the son and all through window cleaning and Mrs Wells' salary as a legal secretary? I think the book royalties and TV fees helped. There is no doubt however of their love for their little girl.

The Chapmans coped differently. They made no capital whatsoever from the loss of their daughter and have remained quiet to this day. I hope they are both well and coping with their loss, if it's ever possible to cope with the murder of your child.

Two very different ways of managing grief.

Getting back to Tia. There has been such confusion, that I wonder did anyone even notice this young girl in the chaos of their lives?

First she was wearing a yellow bandeau with her bra showing and leopard print leggings. Now it's a yellow T-shirt and jeans. The CCTV is when she went to meet her grandfather age 37, the day before? So no one knows where she was or what she was wearing. The fact that this poor child called someone of 37 her grandfather disgusts me.

There was a post on the Mail online comments this morning, since removed, from someone in Croydon who'd been doorknocked by the Police. The Police said they had no idea who saw her last.

What a sad situation when a family has no idea when a 12 year old went missing or what she was wearing, heartbreaking.

There is an outcry as to why this story is not above the Olympics? Sadly I believe the Police know, and therefore no search for a missing child.

by **tigger** 07.08.12 19:59

Jean wrote:Oh yes certainly in that case Nina but I was wondering about genuine instances where the parents were in no way responsible for what happened.

Here's a link to a clip of an interview with the chief executive of the Missing People charity - thank goodness he didn't send his new ambassador instead!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Perhaps, as Sharon suggests, she is actively involved in the search.......

What is the actual use of this charity? The chief exec. will have to charge the charity travel money and extra time thus making more money available for him to spend which in turn will uplift the economy?
Appearing on a TV programme when the police and media have done all the work and there is plenty of publicity doesn't really count in my book. Sky news might as well have picked up anyone from the street who would be just as valid.

The police have just found a 14 year old who disappeared from her home in Banbury, not a good outcome since she committed suicide. No missing people charity got on the bandwagon there - why not?
On the whole the police seem to manage quite well without this sort of interference. No doubt when a child is found from time to time, it's often the police who have found her and the charity which can exhibit the lost child.
I notice that no details were given on the girl who was found just as Kate became ambassador. So who found her and where was it reported?

by **Tony Bennett** 07.08.12 20:11

tigger wrote:
What is the actual use of this charity?

The charity itself says:

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From Wednesday 11^th July, Kate McCann – in her first official role as Ambassador of the charity Missing People – will launch the biggest digital billboard campaign in British history. Organised by the Outdoor Media Centre and produced by Grand Visual, this unprecedented campaign will see a network of billboards publicise people missing across the UK.

The value of the advertising space donated by the outdoor advertising industry is estimated at over £1million, and the campaign is estimated to reach over 10 million adults during the summer months when – thanks to the Olympics – Britain will be at its busiest. New ‘OpenLoop’ technology created by Grand Visual will allow staff and volunteers at the charity Missing People to update the appeals instantly to billboards, with details of the latest high risk individuals.

The campaign will see appeals on donated digital billboards in major cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, running across rail and underground networks, on high streets and in shopping centres.

The advertisements will include details of individual missing people, creating awareness of the new number to call for sighting – 116 000 – and harnessing the public’s help to join the search.

Kate McCann, a new Ambassador for Missing People, said:

“When your child goes missing you want the whole world to stop and join the search. Missing People, the Outdoor Media Centre and its members are providing an unprecedented opportunity to help safely reconnect missing children.

“More than 250,000 people are reported missing each year in the UK – worryingly they could fill the Olympic Stadium three times over. Thankfully, campaigns like this can play a vital part in the search. In May, two youngsters featured in the charity’s ‘Big Tweet for Missing Children’ were found safely.

“The search for Madeleine continues and I am delighted to lend my support as an Ambassador to this practical solution that gives hope to families like mine.”

Bill Wilson, Operations Director at the Outdoor Media Centre said:

“Outdoor advertising is able to reach a mass audience again and again, so it’s really the perfect medium to help the authorities find some of the missing people, whose stories are so important but too often slip under the radar.

“The Outdoor Media Centre and our members feel strongly that we can make a difference to the hundreds of thousands of families who are living each day not knowing when they’ll see their loved ones again.”

Neil Morris, Founder and Managing Director of Grand Visual, the production and creative technology company supporting the campaign commented:

“The Digital Out of Home market is now at a stage where it can really deliver on its key strengths - its ability to react in real-time with relevant copy to a broadcast audience.

“It is the perfect platform for the Missing People’s Initiative – allowing the charity to manage and deliver this impactful campaign from their desktop computer and publish it instantly to a nationwide audience.”

To find out more visit [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. Give £3 to the charity by texting SEARCH to 70990

by Spaniel 07.08.12 20:16

I'm guessing, and I hope I'm wrong, is that Tia was last seen by her family on Thursday, not Friday. For teenagers that sleep in half the day it's more than possible.

by **Tony Bennett** 07.08.12 20:20

Missing People lists its Trustees.

Here's one of them:

Chris Rollings

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Chris Rollings is a Chief Superintendent with Leicestershire Constabulary. For the last 10 years he has been in charge of missing persons for the Force, introducing a computerised missing persons system in 2002, and a new way of working with local authority partners whereby the top 10 missing persons were reviewed regularly.

Following an inspection in 2007 Leicestershire Constabulary were the only police force in the country to receive an ‘excellent’ rating for missing persons investigation. Chris’ role quickly developed into a more national focus and he assisted in the introduction of Child Rescue Alert across the country. Chris currently chairs the East Midlands Regional Missing Persons Group and a National police group of 23 Forces using the same computer system. He has a passion for improving the investigation and management of Missing Persons cases.

by Spaniel 07.08.12 20:28

Tigger said;

"I notice that no details were given on the girl who was found just as Kate became ambassador. So who found her and where was it reported?

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

At least one day before they took the credit. Unless it was a minute after midnight.

by **Tony Bennett** 07.08.12 20:31

A video of a rather disgruntled stepfather of Tia Sharp is here:

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by pauline 07.08.12 20:41

Tony Bennett wrote:A video of a rather disgruntled stepfather of Tia Sharp is here:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Is that a beer can he's holding in his hand? no doubt necessary to cope with the stress of losing his 'little girl.'

Also note in one of the articles that the mother said Tia spent every weekend with her gran and grans boyfriend. Isn't that odd? To visit her every weekend, OK, but to stay all weekend every weekend..? Was there a problem at home? or is this yet again sloppy journalism?

by dragonfly 07.08.12 20:44

Mrs Sharp, 46, a care worker, left Tia with her boyfriend Stuart Hazell, 37, when she went to work on Friday morning.
Relations said Tia told Mr Hazell she was catching the bus into Croydon and left the house alone at about midday. She has not been seen since.

However, Mr Hazell told his sister, Sarah Parratt, and his father, Keith Hazell, that he had walked with her to the tram station but was unsure whether she boarded a tram.
“He’s beside himself,” Mrs Parratt said. “He was the last person to see her and he just doesn’t know what has happened.
“He said he almost went into town with her but it would have been too busy. He gave her £11 to buy some flip-flops and left her to it. He thinks the world of her and treats her like his own daughter. Tia spends every weekend with Stuart and her gran.”
Keith Hazell said: “I spoke to Stuart this morning. He said he had walked her to the tram but then what happened?”

by **sharonl** 07.08.12 20:45

I think that this charity could do more harm than good in some, if not most cases.

When an adult goes missing it is often out of choice and for a multitude of reasons, many may not want to be found, having made new lives for themselves. What right does a charity or anyone else have to put up posters and banners, exposing these people who know exactly who they are, where they came from and how to get in touch if they really want to. If an adult was suffering from some mental or emotional problems, that information would be passed onto the police and obviously the case would be treated with more urgency. Again, posters and banners may frighten a disturbed person.

In the case of a missing child the police are involved, is it really a good idea to interfere by creating such publicity? If a child was abducted it would force the abductor to go to ground hiding the child even further away or even worse to harm the child. To interfere in the case of a missing 12 year old after just 4 days seems very wrong, even if she had not been abducted it sends out a clear message to all paedophiles that this little girl is out there alone and very vunerable.

by justme3 07.08.12 20:51

Too many stepdads and grandmother's partners in this for me. Call my cynical.

by **sharonl** 07.08.12 20:58

Sorry, I must be missing something here

Did Tia leave the house when her stepgrandad was hoovering? Or did he walk her to the tram?

Please don't tell me that we have contradictions already

by **Nina** 07.08.12 21:01

sharonl wrote:Sorry, I must be missing something here

Did Tia leave the house when her stepgrandad was hoovering? Or did he walk her to the tram?

Please don't tell me that we have contradictions already

Yes we have contradictions already.

by Spaniel 07.08.12 21:07

Nina wrote:
sharonl wrote:Sorry, I must be missing something here

Did Tia leave the house when her stepgrandad was hoovering? Or did he walk her to the tram?

Please don't tell me that we have contradictions already

Yes we have contradictions already.

Apart from the conflicting family versions, the press are hardly accurate. I've known the characters in two cases over 45 years and they didn't even get the basics right as to name of school etc.

by Spaniel 07.08.12 21:12

justme3 wrote:Too many stepdads and grandmother's partners in this for me. Call my cynical.

There is another way of life out there of which we know little about, and children like Tia are caught up in it.

.

by **Tony Bennett** 07.08.12 21:32

sharonl wrote:In the case of a missing child the police are involved, is it really a good idea to interfere by creating such publicity?

It would be very interesting to know to what extent the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) was consulted when Missing People was set up - and to what extent there is close co-operation between ACPO and Missing People e.g. do Missing People consult with the police about which missing people/children are publicised by all their fancy digital networking?

by **sharonl** 07.08.12 21:34

Nina wrote:
sharonl wrote:Sorry, I must be missing something here

Did Tia leave the house when her stepgrandad was hoovering? Or did he walk her to the tram?

Please don't tell me that we have contradictions already

Yes we have contradictions already.

Just 4 days and we already have:

A missing child
T-Shirts
Contradictions
Martin Brunt
The Sun

I am afraid to ask what comes next. pray

Not Clarence please!!

by **sharonl** 07.08.12 21:38

Tony Bennett wrote:
sharonl wrote:In the case of a missing child the police are involved, is it really a good idea to interfere by creating such publicity?
It would be very interesting to know to what extent the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) was consulted when Missing People was set up - and to what extent there is close co-operation between ACPO and Missing People e.g. do Missing People consult with the police about which missing people/children are publicised by all their fancy digital networking?

Excellent point Tony

I wonder if we could request that information under the FOI act.

by HAVEYOUFEDTHECAT 07.08.12 22:07

Good to join this forum... rather saddened by the Tia Sharp case.. I have joined the Facebook Group find Tia which is kind of interesting to watch things unfold, but I have a growing feeling of unease that this situation is not going to end well. What I find majorly worrying is that there are no definite sightings of Tia after she left the house. No CCTV and the fact that she didn't take her mobile phone with her. A thirty seven year old Grandfather.. one wonders at the family background. My daughter in-law is a copper and "the golden hour" after a child's disappearance is very important... well the golden hour has now turned into five long days. I suspect the conclusion to this case will be found close to the family sadly..

by HAVEYOUFEDTHECAT 07.08.12 22:09

Spaniel wrote:
justme3 wrote:Too many stepdads and grandmother's partners in this for me. Call my cynical.
There is another way of life out there of which we know little about, and children like Tia are caught up in it.

.

Sadly it would seem so...