Found Safe UK - Karen Brown, 47, London, 17 Oct 2017

[JerseyGirl]

Karen Brown, 47, left the family home on Kirkwood Avenue at 07:00 but failed to turn up for her 10:00 shift at Asda.
Detectives have now established she took a Megabus to London from Buchanan Street Bus Station in Glasgow at 08:20 that morning. A woman from Clydebank met Mrs Brown in London at 10:20 on Tuesday. Following the sighting at Hamley's on Regent Street, officers obtained CCTV from the toy store. They are now working with their colleagues in the Metropolitan Police in a bid to map Mrs Brown's movements. Her husband Jock, 48, reported the mother-of-two missing after she failed to return home from work on Saturday.

Mrs Brown does not have any relatives in London but has visited the capital with her family several times. Mr Brown described her disappearance as "extremely unusual" and out of character.

Mrs Brown left her mobile, purse and handbag at home but it thought to be carrying cash. Police also confirmed she did not book her Megabus ticket in advance.

She was wearing a light pink fleece, light blue denims, white trainers and was carrying an Asda Bag for Life.
When captured on CCTV in Hamley's, Mrs Brown was wearing a burgundy Puffa style jacket and carrying an identical carrier bag.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-41664510

 

[Ironside]

I think it's very positive she has been seen on cctv in London, no trace would concern me a lot more.

Police checking cctv of bus stations & train stations has obviously worked well here.

Wonder if she had arranged to meet the other woman from Clydebank or if it was just a massive coincidence?

Whatever is going on I hope she is ok and traced soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Littlegreenlady]

The wording of that article has me confused - like you Ironside, I wondered if they meant she actually met her, as in a planned assignment, or did she just happen to bump into someone she knew? That would be helpful to know as a planned meeting clearly indicates more of a plan.

Also, so she was meant to be at work at 10am but didn't appear - but her husband didn't report her missing until she was due home from work. Did she call in sick to Asda? Just thinking about what did Asda do? Wouldn't they have tried to call her, and possibly also her husband to see where she was? Although maybe they didn't have his number. But just wondering about the timeline. If she had planned to go to London, wouldn't she want to call in to Asda, pull a sickie or something, to buy some time?

 

[Ironside]

If someone is awol in my work their next of kin is usually called within a couple of hours so I'd assume Asda do the same. I think her husband would have then been waiting to see if she turned up before calling the police towards the evening.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jackalyn]

I do not understand. You have to book megabus in advance. You cannot book it on the same day.

 

[Sleepyface]

Just to clarify the timeline as I understand it - so she missed her shift at work on Saturday 14th, she also took the mega bus Saturday morning at 8.20, but the last sighting was Tuesday the 17th in London on cctv at 10.30?

 

[Sleepyface]

I do not understand. You have to book megabus in advance. You cannot book it on the same day.

You can buy on the day tickets from certain Scottish bus stations, definitely Aberdeen from personal experience, but I’m not sure about Glasgow.

ETA: from the Megabus website

‘Ticket purchase is available from the driver on all internal Scottish services, subject to seats being available. At selected departure points such as London Victoria Coach Station, you may be able to purchase tickets from a Self Service Ticket Machine or buy a walk-up fare on the day of travel from a member of megabus.com staff. Seats are subject to availability.’

 

[DakotaMayi]

I'm lost here... so, she disappeared 10/14? But was last seen on surveillance 10/17?

 

[Sleepyface]

This lays out the timeline and information in a clearer way.
http://www.scotland.police.uk/whats-happening/missingpersons/karen-brown

Incidently, I’m pretty sure the coat she’s wearing, that she didn’t have before she went missing, is from Next, its newish stock for this season.
http://www.next.co.uk/g77112s3#193830

 

[DakotaMayi]

This lays out the timeline and information in a clearer way.
http://www.scotland.police.uk/whats-happening/missingpersons/karen-brown

Incidently, I’m pretty sure the coat she’s wearing, that she didn’t have before she went missing, is from Next, its newish stock for this season.
http://www.next.co.uk/g77112s3#193830

From your link, Sleepy...

[FONT=MuseoSans_300]“The response to the appeal to trace Karen has been outstanding. Indeed, it was a woman from Clydebank who saw the appeal on Facebook who happened to be in London on holiday who said she saw and spoke to Karen in Hamleys toy store there. She helpfully contacted security who have been great in assisting our enquiry. [/FONT]

So I would take that to assume this woman did not arrange to meet with Karen or knew her, just that she happened to see her in the store and exchanged a few words.

Interesting that she seems to have purchased a new coat.

 

[Sleepyface]

Karen already has a burgandy puffy jacket that is missing from home according to this http://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/of-missing-mum-karen-brown-13780147

It could possibly have fitted in the Asda bag she was carrying in this pic from the bus station. It also looks like she has a small handbag with her in this, though she must have left her usual/everyday bag at home per reports. Hope this is a case of a few days away by a stressed out lady who fully intends to return home.

 

[DakotaMayi]

Karen already has a burgandy puffy jacket that is missing from home according to this http://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/of-missing-mum-karen-brown-13780147

It could possibly have fitted in the Asda bag she was carrying in this pic from the bus station. It also looks like she has a small handbag with her in this, though she must have left her usual/everyday bag at home per reports. Hope this is a case of a few days away by a stressed out lady who fully intends to return home.

Oh sorry, I misunderstood.

Yes, I hope so too. Her Husband stated this behavior was out of character for her so I'm hope she just needed some time.
Has this been reported in the media a lot? Or is it just coming to light now?

 

[dalsglen]

She's really recognisable so hopefully she's found safe soon

 

[Sleepyface]

I assumed the coat was a very newly acquired purchase too - the police must have queried & resolved it. I’m positive it’s the Next coat, it’s clearer on cctv footage - and there is a next store less than 10mins on foot away from Hamleys which was why I mentioned it prior to finding the update.

It seems that it’s been heavily publicised & actively persued in the local area of her home, fingertip searches & canals checked, the route she would have walked to work etc. Lots of reports in Scottish newspapers but hasn’t really gone UK wide until today.

Prior to the London sighting & Megabus cctv coming to light Tuesday, the timeline has been Karen coming home from work Friday night, brief chat to her husband before going straight to bed, then leaving the house before anyone woke up Saturday. While the family must still be worried it’s probably slightly reassuring to have a credible recent sighting of her alive given those initial circumstances.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Photos of Karen Brown at Buchanan Bus Station, Glasgow, where she boarded a MegaBus to London

Karen Brown, 47, was last seen by her husband Jock and daughter Chloe on Friday night when she returned from work at Asda in Clydebank.

Mr Brown said he last saw his wife after a brief chat before she went to bed, but by the time he woke up on Saturday she had gone. He then thought she had started work early, but when he went to pick her up at 8pm he was told she had not turned up or called to say she would not be in.

But detectives have also found CCTV pictures of the grandmother boarding a bus to London from Glasgow early on Saturday morning.

She left her handbag, purse and mobile phone at home.

Officers could find no trace of Mrs Brown until a call from London where someone said they recognised her from appeals and spoke to her briefly in Hamleys toy shop. Detective Inspector David Quinn said: 'Somebody who has seen our social media appeals who is from Clydebank and is on holiday in London just now recognised a person she believed to be Karen in a toy store. 'They had a very brief conversation where she asked her if she was Karen and the person replied ''yes'' and went on their way. 'That witness is still in London but will be returning today and will speak to police.'

Mrs Brown has never been missing before and police remain concerned. Mr Quinn said: 'She's been working a lot and become a grandmother for the first time so there's been a fairly significant change in life recently but there's nothing in Karen's life or background that would give us an idea as to why she has disappeared.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ssing-Scottish-grandmother.html#ixzz4vxWNHdfP

 

[always reading]

Photos of Karen Brown at Buchanan Bus Station, Glasgow, where she boarded a MegaBus to London

Karen Brown, 47, was last seen by her husband Jock and daughter Chloe on Friday night when she returned from work at Asda in Clydebank.

Mr Brown said he last saw his wife after a brief chat before she went to bed, but by the time he woke up on Saturday she had gone. He then thought she had started work early, but when he went to pick her up at 8pm he was told she had not turned up or called to say she would not be in.

But detectives have also found CCTV pictures of the grandmother boarding a bus to London from Glasgow early on Saturday morning.

She left her handbag, purse and mobile phone at home.

Officers could find no trace of Mrs Brown until a call from London where someone said they recognised her from appeals and spoke to her briefly in Hamleys toy shop. Detective Inspector David Quinn said: 'Somebody who has seen our social media appeals who is from Clydebank and is on holiday in London just now recognised a person she believed to be Karen in a toy store. 'They had a very brief conversation where she asked her if she was Karen and the person replied ''yes'' and went on their way. 'That witness is still in London but will be returning today and will speak to police.'

Mrs Brown has never been missing before and police remain concerned. Mr Quinn said: 'She's been working a lot and become a grandmother for the first time so there's been a fairly significant change in life recently but there's nothing in Karen's life or background that would give us an idea as to why she has disappeared.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ssing-Scottish-grandmother.html#ixzz4vxWNHdfP

For her to say yes idk what to think.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Littlegreenlady]

Thanks to all those that found the reports to clarify the time line. Still confused as to why Asda didn't report her missing to her husband, so that he turned up expecting to pick her up. I know that isn't the focus of this story but it's just niggling me.

And always reading, I agree, why say yes? But maybe she got caught on the hop and just said yes without thinking.

 

[Sleepyface]

I can see how she wasn’t reported - Many moons ago in my student days, I worked for Asda.

If you were a reliable employee that missed a shift, not too much would be said or done initially, the assumption would be that you booked a day off or swopped a shift and it had somehow been overlooked/forgotten by the department manager when prepping the rota for that week. Or possibly, If it was a shift that didn’t form part of her regular contracted shift pattern, it may be assumed it was an overtime shift that was hoped for & pencilled in by the manager but not agreed to by Karen.

Her absence wouldn’t technically be flagged until the next days absence report by HR, at that point her department manager would have to explain the absence... but this would be from a ‘how do we pay them’ p.o.v and not set in stone - an unexplained absence from a reliable employee would generally be recorded as paid leave, if any remained from their annual allowance, until they got in touch so as not to mess up their monthly pay. (Recording sickness would mean the shift wouldn’t be paid)

The manager of your department might call if they were 100% sure you were supposed to be in, but in practical reality, they’d probably just wait for you to make contact and explain.

 

[chimpface]

Thanks to all those that found the reports to clarify the time line. Still confused as to why Asda didn't report her missing to her husband, so that he turned up expecting to pick her up. I know that isn't the focus of this story but it's just niggling me.

And always reading, I agree, why say yes? But maybe she got caught on the hop and just said yes without thinking.

To be fair at the company I work at next of kin wouldn't be contacted for 1 days absence, they'd just attempt to contact the employee who hasn't turned up. Maybe on the second day they would contact next of kin.

 

[always reading]

Being that I'm very reliable and hardly ever call in, I'm sure my job would be calling next of kin if I just didn't show up.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk