Alice Gross search: iPhone appeal in missing girl case

A missing iPhone belonging to missing schoolgirl Alice Gross could hold key information that might help to find her, police have said.

Alice, 14, from Hanwell, west London, was last seen two weeks ago.

She sent her father a text just after 15:00 BST on 28 August from the phone, which was switched on until 17:00.

Her rucksack was found near a towpath beside the River Brent between Hanwell Bridge and the Grand Union Canal on 2 September, but the phone was not there.

The white iPhone 4S has a distinctive cracked case the girl had colourfully decorated herself.

The Brentside High School pupil left the family home at 13:00 on 28 August. She had not had an argument with her family, who were trying to overcome her anorexia problems together, police said.

CCTV footage shows her walking alone along the towpath of the canal that afternoon.

Scotland Yard has released an interactive map of the route she took.

She was recorded by CCTV cameras at 14:23 near the Holiday Inn at Brentford Lock, heading towards Kew, and again at the same location walking towards Hanwell at 15:45.

At 16:23 she was caught on camera near Trumpers Way Canal Bridge.

Her purple rucksack was found on Thursday near the River Brent.

Det Ch Insp Andy Chalmers said: "We know that Alice's bag was first found the day after she was last seen by two builders, who we have spoken to, who put it back down in the same spot on the towpath.

"I need to know if anyone found Alice's bag before the builders and was anything taken from it, or if anyone has her iPhone.

"Did you find or see a white iPhone 4s with a cracked rear case, that Alice had decorated with marker pen? If you did, do you still have it?"

Police divers are continuing to search the canal where Alice was last seen, with 32 detectives and 170 officers working on the case.

Two men, aged 25 and 51, who were arrested on suspicion of murder were later released without charge.