Met police deny racial bias affected Owami Davies investigation

Force commander says some criticism of response to disappearance of student nurse does disservice to officers' work

The Metropolitan police have denied racial bias had an impact on their investigation into the disappearance of the student nurse Owami Davies, who was found almost seven weeks after she went missing.

The force has come under fire over its handling of the case after it emerged that officers came into contact with the 24-year-old on the day she was reported missing.

Officers also faced criticism after issuing pictures of a different black woman in an early appeal for information about the King's College London student.

Davies, from Grays, Essex, was found fit and well" in Hampshire on Tuesday after a member of the public spotted her. Her mother, Nicol, thanked the media, public and police for helping locate Davies, posting on Twitter: I will never forget the love showered over my family during our time of despair."