Major violent crimes are rare in Bristol, providing residents with the peace of mind that their community is safe and protected.

This communal sense of security was shaken in late February 2015, by a Facebook post originating from Bristol. The post featured an image of a teenage girl, with the accompanying text reading, quote:

“PLEASE SHARE. Missing 16-year-old girl. Please private message if you have seen her or know anything.”

Not long after, a second unsettling Facebook post was appearing across feeds. This one reading, quote:

“Please, if anyone has seen or heard from my daughter just let me know she is safe. She went missing on Thursday 19 February at 11.15am to meet her boyfriend and never arrived… She hasn’t been seen by any of her friends, police have started a search. I’m really scared now. I want her home.”

Within days, the original Facebook posts had been shared hundreds of times and the hashtag #FindBecky was trending on Twitter. Thousands of flyers were scattered throughout the streets of Bristol, featuring two candid photos of the missing teenage girl who was making waves across social media.

The flyer read:

“Help Us to Find Missing Rebecca Watts.

We are appealing for the public’s help to find missing teenager Rebecca Watts who has gone missing in the St George area of Bristol. She went missing from the Crown Hill area on the morning of Thursday, February 19. It is out of character for her not to contact someone if she is not returning home.

Rebecca is described as a white girl, aged 16, about 5 foot 4 inches of slim build with long reddish-brown hair. She may be wearing a blue puffer-style jacket.

We would like Rebecca or anyone who knows where she is to contact us to confirm she is alright.”