Hunt for missing girl, 14, last seen boarding late-night train from Chatham towards Bromley

Published 14 October 2026, 11:49

• Lily Sibanda vanished after catching the 10pm train on Tuesday, crossing from Kent into south-east London
• The teenager is 5ft 4in with brown hair, two nose piercings, a black body suit and beige bomber jacket
• Anyone who spots her should dial 999 immediately, quoting reference 14-0027 — other tips can go to 101

A search is underway for a 14-year-old girl who vanished after boarding a late-night train out of Chatham.

Lily Sibanda was last seen at about 10pm on Tuesday 13 October 2026, when she caught a train from the Kent town heading towards the Bromley area.

The journey would have carried the teenager out of Medway in Kent and across the border into south-east London, where Bromley is located.

Lily is described as about 5ft 4in tall with brown hair and two nose piercings — distinctive details that could help members of the public recognise her.

Investigators believe her outfit consists of a beige bomber jacket and a black full-length body suit, based on the appeal posted on the Kent Police website.

Anyone with critical information about her current whereabouts is urged to dial 999 immediately, quoting the reference number 14-0027.

Those with any other information that could help locate Lily can call the non-emergency 101 line.

Tips can also be submitted through the live chat function on the Kent Police website as an alternative to phoning.

No details have been released about the circumstances of the teenager's disappearance, including why she travelled towards Bromley or whether she has any known connections in that part of south-east London.

The public appeal reflects the concern surrounding a 14-year-old travelling alone at night across county lines, with investigators relying on sightings from commuters and residents along the Chatham-to-Bromley rail corridor to help trace her movements.

The 10pm departure time means Lily would have been travelling during the final services of the evening, when stations and carriages are quieter and potential witnesses fewer.

Her last confirmed sighting was at the point she boarded the train in Chatham, making anyone who shared a carriage with her, or saw her at a station along the route, potentially important to the investigation.

Appeals of this kind ask the public to stay alert in both the location where the missing person was last seen and their possible destination — in this case, Chatham in Kent and the Bromley area of south-east London.

The combination of her brown hair, two nose piercings, black body suit and beige bomber jacket gives the public a clear picture to work from.

The two-tier reporting system — 999 for urgent sightings quoting reference 14-0027, and 101 or online live chat for everything else — is designed to route critical information to officers as fast as possible.