Taxi drivers join the hunt for missing children

London’s black cab drivers have joined the search for some of the estimated 140,000 children who go missing in the UK every year.

The campaign is the brainchild of EastEnders actress Tamzin Outhwaite’s father Colin, a former taxi driver and has been backed by black cab app Hailo and taxi marketing firm Ubiquitous.

Mr Outhwaite said: “I was watching Gloria Hunniford appeal for a missing child on ITV’s This Morning programme, and thought to myself that taxi drivers are in the perfect position to help.

“My hope is that more cabbies will come forward and volunteer to take the posters.”

One person who is included in the ads is Lee Boxell, who went missing from Sutton in September 1988 aged 15.

Martin Houghton-Brown, chief executive of Missing People, said: “If your child went missing, wouldn’t you want the whole world to stop and look for them?

“The charity Missing People is building a dedicated community of people across the UK ready to join the search online, at work and in their neighbourhood.”