VIDEO: Mum pleads for missing son to come home (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Detectives hunt for missing boy

5:34pm Thursday 25th June 2009 in Local Video By Marc Meneaud

A distraught mum whose 12-year-old son has been missing for days has begged him to come home.

Detectives have been hunting for Peter James Penman after he and another boy failed to turn up for dinner at the foster home where they were living.

Peter’s mum Emma Barlow, of Marten Road, Canterbury, Bradford, said she knows he would get in touch with her if he could and fears for his safety.

She was informed on Monday by her son’s social workers that he had gone missing. He has run away from previous foster homes but he has always headed straight to her within hours.

Miss Barlow said: “It’s different this time. I know he would contact me if he could. I’m worried sick that something or someone is stopping him.”

She said Peter had been unhappy about where he was living but was excited about moving to a new foster home in Bingley the night he went missing.

Despite repeatedly calling Peter’s mobile phone and leaving messages, Miss Barlow has still not heard anything from him.

She told the T&A: “I just want him to come home or go back to his foster home just so I know he’s safe and so I can give him a big kiss.

"I want him to know we would welcome him with open arms. He’s a sweet, kind boy. He carries his nana’s shopping. He’s beautiful.”

She added: “The more time that goes by the more worried I’m getting about him. Maybe he hasn’t run away, maybe someone has harmed him. He’s never been gone this long. If someone’s got him, I beg them to let him go.”

“At first, I just thought it was Peter being Peter and that he was going to come to my house – he did it two weeks ago and turned up at about 3 o’clock in the morning – but he still hasn’t been in touch.

“It doesn’t make sense for him not to come home, that’s what’s scaring me – he was excited about going to Bingley.”

She added: “His phone has been on and I have sent a text because I was ringing and ringing and leaving messages saying ‘Peter, just pick up’. Peter is the type of child who would pick up the phone because he would want me to know he’s OK.”

Miss Barlow, who lives with her mother Joyce, has been putting up missing posters in the hope people will help get her son back.

Bradford Council social services is also appealing for Peter’s return: “We had been informed that this boy was missing and we would appeal to him, or anyone who knows of his whereabouts, to contact the police.”

And a West Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed: “Investigations into his whereabouts are on-going.”

Anyone with information about Peter’s whereabouts should call the Missing Persons Co-ordinator at Bradford South police on 0845 6060606.