Child left home alone for two weeks

A boy left home alone by his depressed mother bravely did everything he could to disguise her disappearance as he fended for himself for nearly two weeks, his headteacher said tonight.

Rufus Polak, 12, went to school as normal after his 53-year-old mother Jill Parker went missing from their house in Battersea, south west London.

The youngster fed and clothed himself, even telling a schoolfriend who visited the home that his mother was upstairs reading, knitting or sewing, to avoid arousing suspicion.

Headmistress Anne-Marie Sutcliffe of Emanuel School in Clapham Junction said: “I commented to him that he always did look well turned out. His shoes were polished and his clothes were pressed.

“He was doing a very good job of hiding it.”

She added: “He has been so brave recently. He was much more concerned to protect his mother than to let anyone know what was going on.”

Social services were alerted after the police were contacted on Thursday by a concerned colleague of Ms Parker.

Police have said Ms Parker has suffered from depression in the past though she is not thought to have disappeared before. She was last seen on December 7.

Her husband James Polak died of a heart attack three years ago and it is believed she becomes depressed at Christmas time because of the memories.

Tracy Burrage, the mother of one of Rufus’ friend, said: “My son Liam is the same age as Rufus and they’ve been friends since they were four.

“Liam has been going round there during the time she’s been missing and Rufus told him she was upstairs reading, or knitting or sewing.

“What’s more, Rufus was at our house last Sunday and he never said anything, he was his usual happy go lucky self.”

Mrs Burrage, 39, said she found out that Ms Parker was missing when Liam came home on Friday.

“He was concerned and quiet. He said: ’I’ve got a secret, it’s Rufus’ secret. His mum has gone missing.”’

She then rang police, but they told her they already knew.

“It’s strange, it’s weird,” she said “I know he is a well adjusted boy....12 going on 16, but at the end of the day, he is still 12, and if my son had been in a similar situation, he wouldn’t have been able to keep it quiet for five minutes.”

She said Rufus and his mother were close, and had been on outdoor holidays to Devon and France since the death of Rufus’ father.

“I just hope she is all right and won’t get too alarmed by all this publicity - she reads a lot of newspapers,” she said.

Ms Parker’s friend John Johnson said her disappearance was out of character and that she was a caring woman who did a lot of charity work.

“She’s a very kind and caring person. She works in a laundry on the King’s Road for the homeless.

“This is so out of character. She is obviously suffering from an illness.”

Mr Johnson, of Battersea, who met Ms Parker at the Battersea Park Rotary Club, said he had also met Rufus.

“He came to help out at the Christmas dinner we held for the elderly last year. He was a super, charming boy.

“Everybody is worried and very concerned.”

Scotland Yard have urged Ms Parker to contact them and said they are following up several lines of inquiry.

She is described as white, 5ft 7in tall and of average build. She has fair medium length straight hair and blue eyes.

She was last seen wearing a light blue long sleeved jumper and carrying a red handbag.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Wandsworth Police Station control room on 020 8672 9922.