The parents of a missing teenager have made a heartfelt plea for her to get in touch.

April Vandore has gone missing

John and Janet Vandore, from Appleton, have not seen their daughter April, 17, a student at Abingdon and Witney College, since last Thursday.

Mr Vandore, 52, said: "April was at home when I left for work last Thursday morning.

"She claimed not to be well and was planning to stay at home, then the college called my wife to say April hadn't been there for a few days."

When Mr Vandore returned home, he discovered his daughter wasn't there. He said: "April is a lovely, attractive girl who likes music and enjoys good fun and laughter with her friends and with her big sister Sara.

"She has just started a new course at college in horses which we thought she was particularly going to enjoy as horses are an abiding interest of hers.

"We are very anxious about her and her sister is extremely concerned.

"We say to her, wherever you are, we love you to bits and miss you very much."

Mrs Vandore, 58, said: "April is a lovely girl who is polite, she does not grunt like some kids do.

"We really have no idea why she has left.

"We know she had been bunking off college, but that is hardly the end of the world and no reason for leaving home like this.

"We are also worried about our older daughter, she is really worried.

"If April doesn't want to contact us, she should please call her sister because she is frantic.

"I hope April is safe, I hope she is having the time of her life and I hope nothing awful has happened to her.

"She has walked out and left a letter before, but we have always gone and found her. She had never dis- appeared like this."

Mrs Vandore said April had just started a diploma in horse care and had a part time job at the Greyhound pub in Besselsleigh.

She said: "We called the college and asked if anything had happened and they said she was getting on perfectly all right with other students and been doing absolutely fine."

She added her daughter took no clothes or money with her.

"We want her to know we have put money in her bank account and credit on her mobile," she said.

Pc Jane Crump, of Cowley Police, said: "We share Mr and Mrs Vandore's concerns about April and encourage her to contact her family. If she doesn't feel able to, she should get a message to the police, so we can open lines of communication.

"She has nothing to worry about in going home."

April is described as about 5ft 7in tall, of slim build, with dark brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts should call Pc Crump on 08458 505505 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.