THE distraught parents of a 15-year-old girl have made an emotional appeal for her to return home.

Michaela Sheppard went out for a lunch break from her job at a hairdressers on Tuesday and hasn’t been seen since.

Her worried mum Dennel Sheppard and stepdad Chris Elkins are desperate for her to return home to Canvey.

They believe she has run away with her boyfriend Anthony Ferno, 18, also from Canvey.

She only had about £10 with her and doesn’t have her mobile phone.

Mr Ferno’s phone has been switched off.

Mrs Sheppard, 41, of Second Avenue, said: “I’m so worried about her safety. I haven’t slept or eaten. I can’t stop crying.”

Michaela, a pupil at Cornelius Vermuyden School on Canvey, has been dating her boyfriend for seven months.

Her stepdad dropped her off at Sophisti-Cuts in Furtherwick Road on Tuesday morning and arranged to pick her up at 5.30pm.

Mr Elkins, 48, said: “She said ‘see you later’ and went.

“She is besotted with Anthony. We don’t know where they could be. While we were on holiday she told our other daughter she was going to run away with him, but we didn’t know this until she was gone.

“It’s unusual for her to act like this.”

Michaela has been in touch with her mum twice through Facebook telling her she is safe and happy and doesn’t want to come home.

Her mum added: “I’m hoping they’re local and she’ll see this. It’s her stepdad’s birthday on Sunday and we want her here for that.

“Her six-year-old sister Megan is missing her loads, so is big sister Chelsea. We can sort out any difficulties.”

Police confirmed they had received a report of a missing 15-year-old girl. Officers are continuing their investigations to establish where she may be.

Anyone with information can call police on 0300 3334444.