Police are urgently searching for a 12-year-old boy who has gone missing in London amid concerns he was ‘potentially alone on the streets’ on a sub-zero night.

Yafee was last seen by a relative just after 5pm yesterday in Newham, East London, and his family began searching the local area when the alarm was raised.

They have also been speaking to his friends to try to find him – and officers have been carrying out a search since he was reported missing to police at 8.38pm.

There have so far been no confirmed sightings of Yafee, who was last seen on Khartoum Road, which is off the Barking Road just south of Plaistow Park.

He was wearing his school uniform and had no phone. The Metropolitan Police said his family were ‘very worried’ and urged people to look out for him.

In an appeal at 4am today, Detective Inspector Sam Lockstone said: ‘With every hour that passes since Yafee was last seen, we are becoming increasingly worried.

‘This disappearance is entirely out of character and on what is a very cold night he is potentially alone on the streets of east London in his school uniform with no phone or other means to seek help.

‘I’m appealing to anyone who has been in the area in recent hours and who thinks they may have seen Yafee to come forward immediately. Your information could be vital to help us focus our search.

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Yafee was last seen by a relative just after 5pm yesterday in Newham, East London

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Yafee was last seen on Khartoum Road (pictured) in Newham, which is off the Barking Road

‘I’m also appealing to those people who are up and about at this hour – the cab and bus drivers, people doing deliveries or those travelling home from the night shift or travelling in for an early start.

‘Please keep your eyes open for any sign of Yafee. If you see someone who you think might be him, even if you’re not certain, please call us immediately.

‘Our priority is finding Yafee, making sure he is safe and well and getting him home to his family who are very worried about him.’

Yafee is described as being of Asian appearance with brown hair. He is around 5ft 4in in height, with a medium build.

When he was last seen he was wearing a school uniform – specifically a black blazer and trousers with a black and yellow tie. He was carrying a black Nike rucksack.

Temperatures in Newham were at about 5C (41F) when Yafee went missing at 5pm yesterday, before dropping to -2C (28F) overnight.