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'I'LL NEVER GIVE UP HOPE'
Agony of mum of 17-year-old boy who vanished in Cornwall two years ago on the way to friend’s house
TWO years ago, missing 17-year-old Finn Layland-Stratfield was due to be staying round a pal's house in Cornwall but never made it - leading to agony for his family.
The teenager was last seen by a youth hostel near his home in Tintagel but hasn't been seen since with his backpack discovered on cliffs the next day.
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Since his disappearance, his mum Bek has refused to give up hope of finding him and has instead thrown herself into raising awareness.
She said: "I'm Finn's mum and will never give up hope. In a way it's all you have when a child vanishes."
As part of this, Bek joined The Vamps on stage at the O2 last night with the Voices for Missing choir.
The choir, which was launched in 2013 and reached the final of Britain's Got Talent in 2017 , sang one of their own songs on stage with the band in front of 20,000 people.
But as Bek says, the "most frightening thing" already happened when Finn went missing so she wasn't daunted.
The Sun Online has this week teamed up with Missing People as part of their Find Every Child campaign.
Find Every Child Week
EVERY two minutes a child is reported missing in the UK.
This means 80,000 kids vanish without a trace every year.
Children are more likely to be reported missing than adults – one in 200 goes missing each year, while one in 500 adults disappear.
Kids in care are at the highest risk of being reported missing – one in ten compared to one in 200.
The Sun Online has teamed up with as part of their Find Every Child Week campaign.
Each day this week, we will speak to a different family who have been affected by a child’s disappearance.
This marks International Missing Children’s Day on May 25.
If you are away from home or thinking of leaving, or if you have information about a missing person or a missing loved one, call the charity’s free and confidential 24/7 helpline on 116 000 or email [email protected]
On July 8, 2017, Finn had breakfast with his mum and hugged her goodbye as she set off for work at her gardening business.
No one realised anything was wrong until the next day when his parents discovered he hadn't stayed at a pal's as planned.
As Finn suffered from anxiety, his parents called the police immediately and a huge search involving the Coastguard was launched.
But other than the backpack found on the cliffs of Hole Beach and one eyewitness coming forward saying they saw Finn at around 6pm, no trace of him has been found.
Bek said: "That was 22 months ago. It's been very difficult.
"His disappearance was very traumatic for the family as he left a big void.
"Life has been chaotic since Finn went missing and I have been trying to balance a normal life as possible for my youngest son as well.”
Finn has lovingly been described by his mum as a "deep-thinking, caring free spirit" who loved riding his motorbike.
At the time he went missing, Bek saw a young man with a "bright, beautiful mind" who had an "exciting future ahead of him."
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She said: "I do wonder what he'd be like now and what he would be up to like travelling or something."
Bek is now trying to do "all she can" for charity Missing People, who she has praised as "incredible".
She has so far raised nearly £10,000 for the charity organising walks along the Cornish coast and taking part in a number of other activities.
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The mum added: "I need to feel like I am doing something and being proactive.
"The charity is brilliant and they provide so much help for everyone.
"I try to stay positive and they help me to do that."
Our campaign so far...
- Dad of vanished teen sometimes 'envies parents of murdered kids'
- Sister of boy, 3, who vanished 40 years ago hopes he was murdered
- Time capsule room of missing boy who 'may have been killed by paedo' in 1988
- Sister of girl who vanished on Army base like The Missing reveals her guilt
- Family of UK’s longest missing person beg her to get in touch before they die
- Tearful mum 'not surviving, just existing' since daughter vanished 3 months ago
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The Sun wants to find these missing kids, watch the video to see if you can help