THE Suffolk friends of a missing 14-year-old girl may have a vital role to play in her safe return, police said last night.Harriet Church-Jennings, of Sibton, near Saxmundham, has not been seen since she left her family's other home at Brook Close, West Ewell, Surrey, at about 7.

By David Lennard

THE Suffolk friends of a missing 14-year-old girl may have a vital role to play in her safe return, police said last night.

Harriet Church-Jennings, of Sibton, near Saxmundham, has not been seen since she left her family's other home at Brook Close, West Ewell, Surrey, at about 7.10pm on Monday, June 5.

The teenager was seen on CCTV just after 10pm the same evening walking with a 6ft tall man with a dark complexion in London's Victoria Station.

Surrey police, who are leading the hunt for Harriet, are concentrating their efforts in the London and Surrey areas but also believe the vital breakthrough in the search could come from Suffolk.

“Following the CCTV footage, we are naturally concentrating our efforts in the London area although the Suffolk side of the enquiry is still very important to us,” said a spokesman for Surrey police.

Harriet's family spend weekdays at their home in Sibton, where the teenager is taught at home.

The Surrey police spokesman said: “We know that Harriet has friends in the Sibton area of Suffolk and if she is going to contact anybody it is highly likely to be one of her friends.

“If any of Harriet's friends receive a message from her it is vital they get in touch with Surrey police.”

It has been an anxious weekend for Harriet's mother Cheryl and stepfather Steven Church-Jennings as they have had no contact with their daughter, who left their Surrey home following a minor row.

The couple have made an emotional plea for their daughter to come home and insist that she is no kind of trouble.

“We all love you and miss you very much,” they said in a statement released by Surrey police.

Chief Superintendent Richard Morris, of Surrey police, also urged the man seen with Harriet in the CCTV images to make contact.

“There is nothing to suggest that any crime has been committed but we hope that he can assist with our investigation,” he said.

Harriet is described as slim, with long blonde hair, blue eyes, fair complexion and is 5ft 6ins tall.

She is softly spoken with a southern accent and was wearing an olive green zip-up cardigan and light blue denim cut-off jeans when she disappeared.

Anyone with information should contact Surrey police on 01483 482625 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

david.lennard@eadt.co.uk