Missing 14-Year-Old Girl from Meopham Found Safe After Cross-Force Investigation

Investigation Transferred to the Metropolitan Police

As the investigation developed, Kent Police transferred the case to the Metropolitan Police Service. That transfer indicates that enquiries identified possible movements or connections into the Greater London area, which falls under Metropolitan Police jurisdiction. Cross-force cooperation of this kind follows national guidance on missing persons investigations, which encourages forces to hand over cases when evidence suggests a person may have travelled across police boundaries.

Kent Police had led the initial response, circulating a detailed description of Demi-Leigh, her last known location and the time she was last seen. The force also used social media to reach a wider audience and asked residents in the Meopham and Gravesham area to report any relevant sightings or information.

Safe Recovery Confirmed

A subsequent update from Kent Police confirmed that the teenager had been safely located. No criminal charges or offences connected with her disappearance have been publicly reported as of the latest available information. Both forces followed established missing persons protocols throughout the investigation.

The case drew attention across local social media platforms and news outlets, reflecting the level of community concern generated when a child goes missing late at night from a residential village.

The Wider Picture on Missing Children

Kent Police recorded 8,811 missing person incidents in the year ending 31 March 2023, according to published data from the Office for National Statistics, with a significant proportion of those cases involving children and young people. Nationally, around 80 to 90 per cent of missing children are found within 24 hours, according to statistical reports from the National Crime Agency’s UK Missing Persons Unit, and the vast majority are located safe and well.

Meopham is a village in the Borough of Gravesham in north-west Kent, situated close to the A227 and within commuting distance of London — a geographical position that makes cross-border movement between Kent and Greater London relatively straightforward, and which shapes the nature of some missing persons investigations in the area.

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Key Takeaways

• Demi-Leigh Spouse, aged 14, was last seen at around 11.40pm on Wrotham Road, Meopham, on 13 June 2026, according to Kent Police.
• The investigation was transferred from Kent Police to the Metropolitan Police Service, indicating possible links or movements into the Greater London area.
• Kent Police later confirmed that the teenager had been safely located, closing the public appeal.

Information for Kent Residents

Residents in Meopham and the wider Gravesham area were asked to assist police during the search by reporting any sightings or relevant information, and the public appeal was closed after the teenager was confirmed safe. Anyone in Kent with concerns about a missing child is advised to contact Kent Police by calling 999 in an emergency or 101 for non-emergency enquiries, and to report any relevant information promptly rather than waiting to see whether the person returns on their own.