A 26-year-old man has been jailed for 18 months for abducting and grooming a 14-year-old girl.

Junior Juba, of Kidderminster Road, Croydon, was arrested after a four-day manhunt for the girl, reported missing by her parents on June 1.

The search led police to Juba's block of flats after officers found a piece of paper with his phone number and his pseudonym, "Aone Mula", written on it in the girl's bedroom.

Juba, who also set up a Facebook page under the fake name, denied having met the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, but she was found in the communal stairway of the flats on June 5.

The girl, whose belongings were also found in Juba's flat, refused to speak to police or lodge any complaint against him.

But he was arrested and charged the next day with child abduction.

He was found guilty at Croydon Crown Court on Tuesday and jailed on the same day. He was also given a five-year sexual prevention order.

Acting Detective Sergeant Dominic Doyle, of Croydon police, said: “ Juba preyed on an extremely vulnerable young girl and kept her away from her parents and the people who care for her.

“The judge said that he had little doubt Juba was grooming her and that he had shown no remorse for his actions or their impact on the young girl involved.”

This year police in Croydon launched Operation Makesafe, a campaign to encourage people who have contact with children to report any concerns to the police.

 Detective Chief Inspector Sian Thomas said: “The safety of young people, and particularly those that are most vulnerable, is one of our top priorities.

“Keeping our young people safe from sexual exploitation is not something that we or the local authority can do alone. 

"We need the support of the community to make sure that any concerning behaviour by young people or towards young people is reported to us, so that we can then investigate and take appropriate action.”

Anyone with information on activity linked to child sexual exploitation can contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.