One of UK’s oldest missing person cases solved after woman found 52 years on

One of Britain’s longest-running missing person cases has been cracked by police after a woman was found alive and well following an appeal 52 years ago.

Sheila Fox was last seen in Coventry city centre when she was 16 in 1972. West Midlands Police said at the time she disappeared that, she was living with her parents and may have been in a relationship with an older man.

The force launched a re-appeal to help solve the case on Sunday (December 27) after more than five decades. It included a single, grainy, black-and-white photo of Ms Fox from the 1970s.

Police had said they were keeping an “open mind” and believed she might have moved out of the area and not told anyone despite there being no trace of her.

West Midlands Police revealed on Wednesday (January 1) that Sheila, who is now 68, has been found and spoken to by officers.

They confirmed that Ms Fox was alive and well and now living in the south of England.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: “We are delighted to announce the conclusion of one of West Midlands Police’s longest-running missing person investigations.

“We recently published a renewed appeal to help find Sheila Fox, who went missing from Coventry in 1972.

“A single photo of Sheila from around the time of her disappearance was found by officers investigating and published on our website and social media.

“Within hours of the appeal, members of the public got in touch with information which led the team to her.”

They said Sheila was “confirmed to be safe and well”, bringing one of the force’s longest running missing person cases to a close.

Det Sgt Jenna Shaw, from the force’s Cold Case Investigation Team, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have found Sheila after more than five decades.”

She explained how officers searched through every piece of evidence they could find and managed to locate the photo of Sheila.

Ms Shaw commended the work of DC Shaun Reeve, who she said had managed to resolve the case with help from the public.

She added: “Every missing person has a story, and their families and friends deserve to know what happened to them and, hopefully, be reunited with them.”