An urgent hunt is underway for a missing 13-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen for days. 

Officers have issued an appeal as they search for Charlie Smith. CCTV images have been released which appear to show the youngster, from Christchurch in Dorset, with an unknown male. 

Charlie was last seen on Beaufort Road in Bournemouth on Thursday, October 3. He was in contact with his family at around 3.30pm but nobody has heard from him since. 

Dorset Police said it had obtained footage of the teenager in the company of a man on Jumpers Road - two miles away - at around 4.45pm the same day. 

Detectives have received reports that the pair later boarded a train at Christchurch train station heading towards London. They are thought to have arrived in the capital sometime afterwards. 

“Charlie has not been seen for more than 48 hours now and we are very concerned for his welfare," said Detective Chief Inspector Aimee Schock. "We are continuing to carry out extensive enquiries to locate him.

“We are now releasing CCTV images of Charlie in company with a man at London Waterloo station on the evening of Thursday, October 3, which is currently the last confirmed sighting.

“I would urge anyone with information regarding Charlie’s whereabouts, or who is able to help us identify the person he was with, to please make contact with us immediately. I am also repeating my direct plea to Charlie to please get in touch with us or your family and let us know where you are. We just want to make sure that you are OK.”

Charlie is described as five feet one inch tall and of slim build with shoulder-length black hair that is blond at the roots. He was last seen wearing grey or black baggy jeans, black platform shoes with white shiny bats on and a blue baseball jacket with white sleeves.