A missing woman investigation has been solved after 52 years - and she's alive

A woman, who went missing 52 years ago, has been found - alive and well, bringing to end one of UK's longest-running missing persons investigation.

In 1972, at the age of 16, Sheila Fox went missing from Coventry. Along with a hazy back and white photo of Fox, the West Midlands Police had issued a number of appeals over the years, urging the public to keep and out for her.

At the time of her disappearance Fox was living with her parents, It is believed she was in a relationship with an older man. However, details of her disappearance were unclear and lack of evidence made her disappearance a mystery.

According to the report by The Guardian, officers were hopeful and thought she may have moved away from the area.

A breakthrough in the case came when West Midlands police on Sunday put out a fresh appeal for information. They also shared the grainy black and white picture of Fox from the time of her disappearance. The appeal which appeared on the police website and social media platforms received an immediate response from the public.

Within hours, the police received crucial information that led the authorities to her current location. The police were able to confirm Fox was safe and well, after conducting an investigation. Fox, now 68, is currently living in another part of the country.

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

“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.”

Detective Sergeant Jenna Shaw from the cold case investigation team said the team was delighted to solve the case after half a century. She said, “We searched through every piece of evidence we could find and managed to locate a photo of Sheila.

“We are a small team of officers and I’d like to recognise the work of DC Shaun Reeve, who managed to resolve this case with help from the public. Every missing person has a story, and their families and friends deserve to know what happened to them and, hopefully, be reunited with them.”