Amelia Bambridge’s family say Britain isn’t doing enough to find missing backpacker, 21, and insist she’s still alive
THE family of missing British backpacker Amelia Bambridge say Britain isn’t doing enough to find the 21-year-old gap year student and insist she’s still alive.
A petition set up on Wednesday afternoon claims the Foreign Office has provided "no support", forcing the family to "run the whole entire operation" themselves.
Family friend Temisis Conway started the Change.org petition, which has now amassed more than 3,000 signatures.
The headline reads: "The FCO aren't helping us find Amelia!? Help us make them LISTEN!"
It continues: "We are starting a petition to reach out to the UK Goverment and plead they help support us to find Amelia.
"She has been missing for now nearly a week from Koh Rong Island, Cambodia, and her family are running the whole entire operation over there.
'NO SUPPORT'
"We have had no support from our own UK Parliament and currently have been without a good translator for days now.
"This is proving difficult to transfer information to the family and we fear this could hinge our chances of safely bringing her home.
"It is the duty of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to stand up for British people in need, wherever they are in the world and as of yet, they’ve not done anything of the sort."
The petition has since been shared on Facebook by members of Amelia's family.
We have had no support from our own UK Parliament.
Change.org petition
However, a Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson told Sun Online the FCO has been providing assistance.
The spokesperson said: "Amelia’s family have our deepest sympathies at this very difficult time.
"Our staff have been providing in-person assistance to them on Koh Rong island, and maintaining close contact with the Cambodian authorities searching for Amelia."
Sir Peter Bottomley MP also issued a statement saying: "Friends and supporters of Amelia’s Worthing family have been assured that we are and have been in contact with the household and with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in recent days.
"It is important that we listen directly to the family and that our direct contact is with them and the FCO. "We are doing what we can.
"[FCO] staff have been providing in-person assistance to the family on Koh Rong island, and maintaining close contact with the Cambodian authorities searching for Amelia."
FAMILY'S FEARS
Earlier today, Amelia's aunt spoke of her fears her niece was snatched by human traffickers in Cambodia, as a specialist dogs unit was brought in to find her trail.
Johanna O'Flaherty – a trauma psychologist who lives in the US – told : “I think there is a very high possibility that she is in captivity.
“I believe that she was abducted, and there’s a good possibility that it is for human trafficking.”
Her fears echo those of Amelia’s dad Phil who is helping with the desperate search, along with Amelia’s brother Harry and sister Georgie.
He earlier told Sky News: "I think someone's taken her. I don't think she's had an accident, if she'd had an accident she would have been found."
VANISHED
Amelia Bambridge, 21, vanished after leaving a beach party on the tourist island Koh Rong at 3am last Thursday morning.
Amelia, from Worthing, West Sussex, had called her sibling Georgie ahead of the beach party.
Her disappearance has sparked a huge search operation, with cops, soldiers and divers combing the area to find her.
A specialist search-and-rescue dog unit was also brought in to try and pick up the missing Brit’s scent trail in the jungle.
Six men were yesterday brought in for questioning in connection to Amelia’s disappearance.
Police have so far been focusing their search on the coast and sea after Amelia’s bag was found on the beach near where she was last seen.
Her belongings were still in the bag, while her passport was at her hostel - a 40 minute walk away.
A senior police source yesterday said there was "little hope" that Amelia would be found alive.
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