According to his Dad he had never bunked off school before this was totally out of character so my own view is no it wasn't a spur of the moment thing but something quite monumental for someone who previously had a 100% attendance record.
UK UK - Andrew Gosden, 14, Doncaster, South Yorks, 14 Sep 2007 #2
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According to his Dad he had never bunked off school before this was totally out of character so my own view is no it wasn't a spur of the moment thing but something quite monumental for someone who previously had a 100% attendance record.
I have often wondered why the rail employee who sold him the train ticket didn't stop and think , wait a minute this is odd a young kid ( everyone said he looked 12) is buying a one way ticket to London on a school day! didn't she even ask him why?!
that could be checked by the police with the department that issues copy birth certificates they would have a record as you have to pay to order one. also if he wanted it to be used to obtain a passport then he would have needed an "enrolled deed poll" which would be on public record.
His parents paid for the Thames to be searched , they did recover a body which was not Andrew. They didn't pay for someone to search Regents Canal which could be another possibility. It's a shame that wasn't searched imo
where is a link to confirm this information? thanks
ChatteringBirds
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I think it must have been incredibly expensive. They paid for a portion of the Thames to be searched.
Crowd source funding didn't exist back then. Just my opinions.
Sarahlou
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This link mentions the priest having a key.
Runaway child: 'How can a kid disappear from the face of the earth?’ | Daily Mail Online
Busy, lack of interest, not wanting to interfere, lots of reasons that people don’t get involved.
Young people don’t have to be at school, they just have to be educated. It’s not up to a ticket clerk to challenge a everyone about their plans.
thanks read it and see that he was their neighbour and held a key for them, this is not unusual , neighbours are known to hold a spare key for their neighbours if they are friends , e.g to help out when they are away on holiday , water the plants or see to pets etc
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it is very unusual for kids to be homeschooled in this country, a kid in casual clothing on a school day is unusual.
yes, I don't know how it was funded.I think it must have been incredibly expensive. They paid for a portion of the Thames to be searched.
Crowd source funding didn't exist back then. Just my opinions.
ChatteringBirds
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Did all schools require a uniform in 2007? No one wore street clothing to school?
I agree that someone as young looking as Andrew out of uniform would have resulted in him being challenged. I can only assume Andrew wasn't in the station long enough to be spotted by the police or he actively went out of his way to avoid them to not be challenged (Wouldn't be difficult in a station the size of Doncaster). I don't think they actively patrol the station any more due to cuts but they definitely did back in 2007.
The vast majority of schools in the UK require a uniform and this was the case in 2007. The ones that don't are very exceptional. At present (to my knowledge) there's only 1 high school in the entirety of Doncaster that doesn't require a uniform and that school didn't exist in 2007.
Uniform was a little more relaxed back in the 00's compared to today. For example back then any jumper in a certain colour or any white shirt would have sufficed where as now you often have to buy the exact blazer and shirt they tell you to from the exact supplier they stipulate. Even so, uniform rules were never so lax that anyone would have got away with wearing street clothes like a Slipknot t shirt to school etc.
Him not taking all the money he had and leaving some in his bedroom is proof that he planned to return for me. If he was planning to stay away forever why not take every bit of cash he had access to? What would be the point of leaving an essential such as money behind? Also the fact he didn’t take so much as a coat or jacket or a hoodie with him. A 14 year old would have some concept of survival mode. Even the fact he took the PSP and no charger indicates he was just going for probably a few hours, would someone planning to run away for ever and leave behind their home and family heading into complete uncertainty just be casually playing a PSP on the train journey? He’d likely have bigger stuff on his mind. All his behaviour to me indicates someone going to waste away the school hours or spend the day somewhere before coming back.
i dont put any weight onto him not buying a return ticket. He was a shy introverted kid who was travelling alone and probably wracked with anxiety or worry. Likely he just dismissed the offer of a return ticket in his mind and went with the option he felt the most sure about. Plus his father already confirmed that it’s not unusual for the family to buy one way tickets when they travelled together before.
i dont put any weight onto him not buying a return ticket. He was a shy introverted kid who was travelling alone and probably wracked with anxiety or worry. Likely he just dismissed the offer of a return ticket in his mind and went with the option he felt the most sure about. Plus his father already confirmed that it’s not unusual for the family to buy one way tickets when they travelled together before.
Diavola
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If he just wanted to visit London as a trip, or go to specific store why not go on Saturday? Tell your parents you're gonna be with friends. That way you don't have to risk school calling your folks. He was (un)lucky that the wrong phone number was called. Why risk that?
exactly,
Sarahlou
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Did he have friends? If he didn't or never usually met up with anyone then that would seem suspicious.
He was only 14, he might not have given it much thought or not cared if his parents found out.
ChatteringBirds
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I feel one reason he left that day could be that he couldn't take even one more day of riding the bus and/or school. An overwhelming need to do this that very day? Maybe (and what I think is likely).
Or if he was indeed meeting someone or attending a specific event, then there wasn't a choice to wait for another day.
Or if he was indeed meeting someone or attending a specific event, then there wasn't a choice to wait for another day.
I do think, sadly, he was lured away by someone nefarious.
London is full of criminal and dangerous people on the lookout - and a young 14 year old by himself must be a jackpot for some.
It's a horrid thought, and I hope it's not true.....but I think he was spotted and befriended there - and was too nice and naïve to shout and scream and run away.
London is full of criminal and dangerous people on the lookout - and a young 14 year old by himself must be a jackpot for some.
It's a horrid thought, and I hope it's not true.....but I think he was spotted and befriended there - and was too nice and naïve to shout and scream and run away.
RobinCAL
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