Owami Davies: watchdog investigating Met Police after force confirms officers spoke with missing person

Owami Davies, 24, from Grays, Essex, left her family home on 4 July and was last seen just after midnight in Derby Road, West Croydon, south London, on 7 July.

The student nurse was found “safe and well” on Tuesday 23 August.

Davies’s family reported her missing to Essex Police on 6 July and the force handed the investigation to the Metropolitan Police on 23 July.

The Met previously revealed on Saturday (20 August) that its officers had spoken to Miss Davies on 6 July, the day she was reported missing.

A police watchdog is now investigating the Met over the incident and will detemine whether further action should be taken.

When did Met police speak to Owami Davies?

In a statement, the force said officers were called to an address in Clarendon Road, Croydon, to concerns over the welfare of a woman.

Police and London Ambulance Service attended the address and spoke to the woman but she told them she did not want help and left.

Owami had not yet been marked as a missing person on the police database at the time.

The Met only later established that the woman was Ms Davies as a result of their missing person investigation.

The force said its professional standards body was consulted and is not investigating the officers.

But it said the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) requested the matter to be referred to them.

What has the Met said about the incident?

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: “The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) were consulted and as there has been contact with police the IOPC were informed.

“The IOPC has requested the matter be referred to them.

“The officers are not subject to any current investigation by the DPS.

“The interaction recorded on the officers’ body-worn video has been viewed by members of the Independent Advisory Group and Owami’s family to ensure openness and transparency.”

What has the police watchdog said?

The IOPC said in a statement: “We can confirm that we received a referral on August 5 from the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to contact officers had with Owami Davies in Croydon on July 6, after she had been reported missing to Essex Police.

“We are currently assessing the available information to determine what further action may be required.”

When was Owami Davies found?

Miss Davies was found in Hampshire on Tuesday 23 August as a result of a call to police from someone who had seen media appeals.

It was the 118th reported sighting to police and was received at 10.30am.

Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney from the Met Police’s Specialist Crime Command said: “This is clearly the outcome we were hopeful for – the finding of the missing lady, Owami Davies.

“I’d like to say she has been found safe and well outside the London area in the county of Hampshire and she’s currently with specialist officers from my team.”

He added: “She looks in good health, she’s in a place of safety, and not currently in the vulnerable state that we were led to believe she was in at the start of her disappearance.”

Met Commander Paul Brogden said “all aspects” of the investigation are now to be reviewed to assess whether there is “any learning that we need to take” from how it was handled.

Several appeals for information had been made over Miss Davies whereabouts and five people were arrested.

Two were arrested on suspicion of murder and three on suspicion of kidnap, they were all later released on bail.

In one of its appeals the Met had said Miss Davies could be in Croydon and “in need of help”.

Members of the public have reported a number of potential sightings of the 24-year-old in the Croydon area and police scoured thousands of hours of CCTV trying to verify whether the sightings were her.