CCTV checked in hunt for missing girl

Miss Stephenson went to interview a homeless person

Closed-circuit television film is being examined in a resumed search for a university student who has been missing for four days after going to interview a homeless person.

Victoria Stephenson, 19, has not been seen since leaving Manchester Metropolitan University on her assignment on Tuesday afternoon.

Detectives say they are "extremely concerned" for her safety.

Officers are examining footage from various closed-circuit television cameras and have searched her hall of residence.

Police have been searching parklands and wasteland

They have also been searching waste ground and parkland along the bus route she is believed to have taken into Manchester city centre.

Her parents have travelled up from West Norwood, London, to help look for her.

There are fears that Ms Stephenson may have ignored safety advice she was given.

She told tutors she would take two friends with her to make sure there was someone around while she was conducting the interview.

Park fears

Miss Stephenson's course leader, Professor Malcolm Payne, said she had gone to do a 'life history' interview as part of her course.

Victoria was last seen at the Didsbury campus

He said: "She came to us on Tuesday to tell us she intended to talk to a homeless person.

"Her tutor asked her a bit about that and found that she was planning to interview the person in a park.

"We suggested she bring them into a university cafe so she would be safer.

"She told us that she was going to take two friends with her to make sure there was someone around while she was doing it.

"We thought that was safe so we let her go ahead."

Miss Stephenson's mobile phone has not been used since she sent a text message on Tuesday afternoon to a friend.

'Out of character'

Police said the number had been tried, and it was believed the telephone had been switched off.

Vicky was very punctual, she kept her appointments, kept her arrangements and kept in regular contact

Chief Inspector Mark Webster

Chief Inspector Mark Webster told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the police were "very concerned indeed" about her welfare - even though there was no obvious reason why anything bad should have happened.

"There's certainly no evidence of anything sinister happening. It's the context of her going missing and the fact that it's so out of character that causes our concern.

"Vicky was very punctual, she kept her appointments, kept her arrangements and kept in regular contact - and certainly that hasn't happened since Tuesday afternoon."

He said there were no obvious worries in her life.

"Vicky's a teenage girl and probably has the same kind of worries that many teenage girls and students have, but certainly nothing untoward and nothing that we would see could prompt this kind of behaviour."

He urged anyone who may have seen Ms Stephenson to get in touch.

"We do have an acute need for a positive confirmed sighting of Vicky... we need to be able to finally focus our efforts and for that we need to have a positive confirmed sighting."

Witness appeal

Ms Stephenson has only been living in the city since September when she arrived to start her degree course.

Miss Stephenson is described as white, 5ft tall, of medium build with short brown hair cut in a bob and a nose piercing.

She has a southern accent and was last seen wearing jeans and a knee-length maroon leather jacket.

Anyone with information about Miss Stephenson's whereabouts is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4345.