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BBC show highlights teen's disappearance
A TV programme hopes to reunite a missing Blackpool teenager with her heartbroken family for Christmas.
Charlene Downes, who disappeared two years ago, will feature in BBC One's 'Missing' on Friday, where her story will be shown to an audience of millions.
Charlene was 14 when she was last seen by her mum, Karen, on November 1, 2003.
Karen and her daughter walked from the family home in Buchanan Street to Church Street in the town centre at around 7pm. The St George's High School pupil kissed her mother goodbye and set off towards The Promenade to meet a friend.
She has never been seen since.
A massive police hunt scoured the whole resort looking for the teenager but there has never been a confirmed sighting of her and detectives have admitted they fear the worst.
Charlene's mum, Karen told The Gazette: "It would be all my Christmases and birthdays rolled into one if Charlene came home.
"I still buy her presents in the hope she will come home and celebrate with us.
"I can never stop hoping. I've even decorated her room so it's nice for when she comes home. All I want now is for her to know how much we miss her and how much we love her."
Det Supt Paul Buschini, the officer leading the search for Blackpool Police, said: "Although we have had no recent sightings, each and every sighting we get is investigated as thoroughly as possible.
"People are still being interviewed and certain individuals are still subject to specific inquiries."
The Missing programme will run every day at 9.30am for the two weeks prior to Christmas in the hope of reuniting vulnerable missing people such as Charlene with their parents and siblings.
Including other agonising long-term cases that were supplied by National Missing Persons Helpline (NMPH) the production crew on Missing were given unprecedented access to NMPH – the UK's only charity dedicated to finding the missing – during filming.
Anyone with information about Charlene is asked to contact police on (01253) 293933.
ben.rossington@blackpoolgazette.co.uk
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Friday 25 May 2012
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