Alexander Sloley has been missing for 17 years and his family is desperate to find him.
He was 16 at the time of his disappearance in 2008 when he went missing from his home in Islington, north London.
There were no signs suggesting Alex, a college student, was planning to run away as he had no money or extra clothes on him.
Now, detectives investigating his disappearance are offering a £10,000 for anyone with information that could help to find him.
Alex is described as a light skinned Black man, 5ft 5ins tall and of medium build with striking blue eyes.
His family, like so many of those whose loved ones go missing each year in the UK, have been caught in a limbo since he was reported missing on August 8, 2008 and they have not heard from him since.
The accountancy student at City and Islington College had little money, no wallet and no bag with extra clothes to indicate he was planning to run away, police said previously.
Detectives have been unable to locate him despite repeated appeals and enquiries, the Met Police said in a fresh appeal launched yesterday.
Sign up to this year’s Metro Lifeline challenge
Someone is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK. That means life is lonely, scary and uncertain for 170,000 families every year.
Missing People is the only UK charity dedicated to reconnecting them and their loved ones and that’s why this year Metro is proudly supporting them for our 2025 Lifeline campaign.
To help raise vital funds for the charity we would love you to join us on on 3 May for a 25km, 53km or 106km hike on the beautiful Isle of Wight.
Registration starts at just £15 with a fundraising minimum of £240 (25km) / £360 (58km). Alternatively, you can pay for your place and set your own fundraising target.
Whether you want to do it as a group or are signing up solo, as part of Team Lifeline, you’ll receive tons of support and advice, so that every step you take can make a massive difference helping those whose loved ones have disappeared.
Click here to sign up and find out more.
To make a donation to Missing People, please click here.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarb Kaur, who leads the investigation, said: ‘Alex was reported missing to police on 8 August 2008. Since then there have been extensive enquiries made by police but sadly Alex has not yet been found.
‘We are now offering a reward of up to £10,000 for anyone who has information relating to Alex’s whereabouts.
‘This remains an active missing person investigation, subject to regular review by senior officers, with the aim of locating Alex and bringing some comfort to his family. We have recently met with Alex’s mother to outline how we intend to progress our investigation to find him.’
A charity Missing People found previously that missing Black children are less likely to be found by police compared to white and Asian youngsters.
Latest London news
- 9 of the best things to do in London this weekend (March 29-30)
- Fungus-infected ‘zombie spiders’ have invaded London
- London buskers legally declared a nuisance for playing music too loud
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s London news hub.
The ‘heartbreaking’ report found that a lower proportion of missing person cases relating to Black children were solved by the police following Freedom of Information requests to the UK forces.
Missing People charity said: ‘Alexander, we are here for you whenever you are ready; we can listen, talk you through what help you need, pass a message for you and help you to be safe.’
Anyone with information about Alexander can contact the Met by calling or texting on 07860 369603, while anonymous reports can be made via independent charity Crimestoppers.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.