Family reunited with missing student

The family of missing university student Victoria Stephenson were reunited with her today after she was found safe and well in Dublin.

Miss Stephenson, a first-year student at Manchester Metropolitan University, went missing on Tuesday after going to interview homeless people for her degree course.

But the search ended when she walked into a police station in Dublin yesterday morning.

Detective Superintendent Peter Minshall, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “I’m very pleased to announce that a short time ago, Victoria Stephenson walked into a police station in Dublin.

“The police in Dublin made contact with us and we in turn arranged for Vicky’s friends and family to talk to her on the telephone.

“They are obviously over the moon, as are all the officers on the investigation team.”

Miss Stephenson’s family or friends yesterday released a joint statement through Greater Manchester Police which read: “We are absolutely over the moon. What better Christmas present could we have than to know she is safe and well.

“We have spoken to her only briefly on the telephone and are looking forward to seeing her.

“We would like to thank all the police officers who have worked so hard over the last four days and also all the members of the media who have been very co-operative and extremely helpful.”

Officers, as well as her family, were travelling to Dublin to see Miss Stephenson and find out how she came to be in Ireland but Mr Minshall said it would be some time before the mystery of her disappearance was solved.

“We have yet to fully interview Vicky Stephenson so we cannot comment on media speculation about the circumstances of her disappearance,” he said.

“Miss Stephenson is understandably in an emotional state after seeing the concern shown by her family over the last few days but also the interview process can take days to complete.”

Miss Stephenson was missing for four days and her worried parents travelled from the family home in south London to Manchester to help look for her.

The Jackson family, with whom Miss Stephenson lived for some time, also travelled to Manchester and her best friend, Alice Jackson, 20, made an emotional appeal for her to get in touch.

More than 40 police officers were reported to be searching for the community studies and sociology student.

The combed wasteland along the three-mile route she should have taken from the university campus into the city centre, where she planned to meet and interview a homeless person as part of her studies.

Homeless magazine The Big Issue delayed its print-run so that leaflets appealing for information about her disappearance could be added to every copy.

The Vice Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University said she was “relieved and delighted” that Miss Stephenson had been found.

Alexandra Burslem said: “I’m naturally relieved and delighted that Vicky is safe and well.

“Staff and students have been frantic for the past two days and this is the best possible news.”