Crimewatch appeal launched over missing teenager

Andrew Gosden disappeared over a decade ago on Friday, September 14, 2007. He was just 14-years-old when he left his home in Balby, Doncaster, withdrew £200 from his bank account and brought a one-way ticket to London.

He was last seen on CCTV footage leaving King’s Cross station and has not been seen since.

It is understood a new Crimewatch appeal is to be launched. Andrew’s father Kevin hopes that it will encourage fresh leads and bring and end to the “constant struggle” of not knowing what has happened to his son. Mr Gosden has said that:

“When you’ve got a loved one missing, it’s kind of like going through cycles of grief when you assume their dead, and then cycles of hope again when you think he could be fine somewhere.”

“Its always with you, day in day out. A lot of the time it simply feels as though it’s never ending. Sometimes you kind of catch yourself and think, seriously, is this really my life?”

Crimewatch recently got in touch with the Gosdens to ask if they could work on the situation with the family.

Filming has already begun, and Crimewatch will be speaking to the family’s police liaison officer in March.

In honour of his memory, Mr Gosden has kept Andrew’s room in a similar fashion to how he left it. He hopes that any reminder or discussion of Andrew will make the public aware of the growing issues surrounding safeguarding vulnerable people, and finding those who go missing. He added:

“It just never occurred to us that anyone in our family would ever go missing.”

“It’s so important that young people should know about charities and helplines for their own safety and hopefully prevent similar issues in the future.”

Lastly, in response to the thought of potentially seeing his son again one day, Mr Gosden stated that he is not at all sure how he would react:

“I think, I’d say hello. Loads of hugs would be involved and probably pizza, if he’s still at all passionate about the things he used to be – Italian food would definitely be involved.”

“Again, it’s a hard question to answer with the uncertainty of knowing anything about his welfare.”

“If he is alive and well, I think it would be difficult to come to terms with the change in him, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’d be delighted to have my boy back.”

The new Crimewatch appeal launched over missing teenager Andrew Gosden can be expected to launch later this year.

Anyone with information on the case can call free and confidentially on 160000.