Missing Sheffield teenager Pamela Horvathova ‘sighted across UK’

Pamela Horvathova, aged 16, was last seen at Ice Sheffield, where she attended a college event between 9.15am and 1.15pm on December 19.

A dedicated team of officers are trying to locate the Darnall teenager, who is from the Roma Slovak community. 

Police have conducted border checks to see if she has left the country and officers have even checked a remote village in Slovakia where her family is originally from. 

All of the searches have come up negative.

Superintendent Paul McCurry, who is leading the investigation, said this morning that Pamela has reportedly been spotted at different locations across the country. 

Speaking on BBC Radio Sheffield, he said: “We are getting sightings not only in Sheffield, but across the UK.

“But our belief is that Pamela is in Sheffield and the answer lies with the Roma community.

“At one of our events last week the community was talking about that Pamela might not want to be found and that is a possibility.” 

He added: “We urgently need to find Pamela to make sure she is okay. 

“I also feel that people think we have got more information than I am actually publicly releasing, that is not true. 

“I am being really honest with the public to say, ‘I need your help’ and I need positive sightings of Pamela.”  

Today’s latest appeal comes after police divers were spotted searching a canal near Ice Sheffield earlier this week. 

But Supt McCurry said he is confident she is still alive and that officers were not acting on any specific information.

He said: “In a missing person enquiry you work on the basis of the last known sighting and that was at Ice Sheffield.”

Pamela was reported missing on December 24 – five days after she was last seen.

Officers have faced difficulties with the language barrier among the Roma Slovak community.

They are appealing for anyone who could act as a community liaison to come forward. 

Police also believe Pamela may have used a friend’s mobile phone in the days after she went missing and are appealing for them to come forward. 

Anyone who sees Pamela should call 999 immediately or if you have other information call police on 101.