Mother and father of missing teenage girl charged with her murder

Bernadette Walker was reported missing by her parents who later distributed missing person photos around their home town.

The mother and father of a missing teenage girl have been charged with her murder.

Bernadette Walker, 17, of Peterborough, was reported missing by her parents on July 21 after she had not been seen for three days, Cambridgeshire Police said.

They reportedly told police that they last saw her on July 18 when she ran out of their car - and that Bernadette texted her mum Sarah two days later, at 1am on July 20, to say she would be returning home 'soon'.

Sarah Walker then distributed missing person photos around Peterborough to appeal for information about the whereabouts of her daughter.

The photos, including a photo of Bernadette, said she was dressed all in black when she went missing, with a blue denim jacket, and black-framed glasses.

And her dad Scott Walker shared an emotional post on Facebook last week, writing: "You can imagine how much we are both worried.

"We miss you. We need to know that you're safe. We love you."

The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit has been carrying out searches to try to find her and launched a "no-body" murder investigation on Friday.

Her parents were charged with her murder on Monday.

Sarah Walker, 37, and 50-year-old Scott Walker, both of Millfield, Peterborough, appeared before Peterborough Magistrates' Court in a virtual hearing.

A court official said they are due to appear before Peterborough Crown Court on Wednesday.

They have both been remanded in custody.

Detective Superintendent Jon Hutchinson said: "Whilst my team have made significant progress with this investigation in the last few days, we are yet to find Bernadette.

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"Therefore my plea is for anyone who has information on what has happened to her, or where she might be, to get in touch as a matter of urgency."