Teenager who disappeared more than half a century ago is 'aged' by police in new image appealing for information

• Photo of Tina Whittamore, who disappeared in 1971, was 'aged' by police
• The grainy black and white image is based on one of the missing women aged 15.
• She is believed to have been in other locations since then, but the trail has gone cold.

A photo of a teenage girl who went missing more than half a century ago has been “aged” by police to show what she would look like today.

Tina Whittamore was just 15 when she went for a walk in Luton, Bedfordshire, on May 31, 1971, and never returned.

The grainy black and white image, released today to mark the 53rd anniversary of her last confirmed sighting, is based on a photo of her taken shortly before she disappeared.

She is believed to have gone elsewhere since then, including to London in the 1990s, but the trail has become uncertain.

Detective Sergeant James Morgan, of Bedfordshire Police, said: “We recognize this is a case that dates back many years, but we never give up in our efforts to find missing people.

“Cases like these are continually reviewed and are reopened if new information is shared with us.” We would just like to know that Tina is safe.

Tina, born in Leighton Buzzard under the surname King in 1955, would be 68 years old today.

She lived in Kempston but was staying at the Whitaker mother and baby unit in Luton when she left.

Police said the teen, who was 5 feet 10 inches tall with light brown hair and brown eyes, was last officially seen around 2:30 p.m.

But in September that year, Thames Valley Police issued a missing person's report regarding a woman named Christine King, 18, who had gone missing from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. It was later established that she and Miss Whittamore were the same person.

Reports also revealed that she lived and worked in Soho and Notting Hill in London in the 1970s.

The Metropolitan Police believe she was in a London hospital in 1990, but left before her identity was confirmed.

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A year later, it was reported that she was sleeping rough in Notting Hill. There have been no new sightings since.

A force spokesperson confirmed Ms Whittamore had “done nothing wrong”.

He said: “She was a child when she went missing and there have been no reliable sightings since then, so the case has remained open.”

“There were concerns because of his age [when she left] and nothing has been done to allay these concerns.

“There is no immediate concern for her welfare and she hasn't done anything wrong. It's just an old case and we're trying to see if we can resolve it.

Ms. Whittamore's mother has died since her disappearance and her father's status is unknown.

The spokesperson could not confirm why Ms Whittamore was in the mother-baby unit or whether she had a living son or daughter.

The original photo was 'aged' by experts from the National Crime Agency, at the request of Bedfordshire Police after reviewing old cases.

She can be identified by a slight squint in her left eye and sometimes dyes her hair blonde or wears a wig, Bedfordshire Police's missing persons team said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the force and quote reference MPL/109/10.