Backpacker, 29, who vanished from hostel is found after ‘cryptic’ text

Jessica Parkinson has reportedly been found “safe and well” after going missing over a week ago.

The 29-year-old Australian has been found according to the Metropolitan Police after she disappeared following her shift Texas at Joe’s Slow Smoked Meats in Bermondsey, London, last Wednesday (December 11).

She sent a “cryptic” text to a colleague that evening. Just two days earlier (December 8), Jessica was seen leaving the backpacking hostel St Christopher’s Inn at Bermondsey.

Jessica’s family reportedly became concerned after she failed to make contact with her relatives in Queensland, Australia, later that day and reported her missing.

She was reported missing again by her father on December 13 after her boss contacted him when she failed to turn up for two shifts in a row.

A cafe worker on Borough High Street, on the same road as the hostel, reported seeing her on December 15. The employee said he saw a “dishevelled” woman walking down the street that evening.

He said: “She was looking like she was fed up. Also, she was walking quite weirdly and limping. She looked like she could have been homeless.”

Jessica’s boss, restaurant owner Joe Walters told the Daily Mail that it was very out of character for her to just go missing as she was normally “very reliable”.

He said: “Then she didn’t show up to work on Thursday and then when she didn’t show up on Friday I reached out to her father in Australia.

“He told me the police had been alerted and is being dealt with by the missing persons unit.”

Police tweeted today confirming Jessica had been found, saying: “Following a number of enquiries and support from Sussex Police, Jessica Parkinson has now been found safe and well. Thank you to everyone who helped with the search.”