Story perspectives

Greater Manchester Police Seek Missing 13-Year-Old Lillia Walton

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 10:09 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Greater Manchester Police Search

Greater Manchester Police are searching for 13-year-old Lillia Lloyd Walton, who vanished in Bolton.
She was last seen at Piccadilly Gardens bus station before 11 p.m. on September 11.
Detectives say her final confirmed sighting was at 1:50 p.m. on September 12 aboard bus 247 at the Trafford Centre.
Police have launched a Major Incident Public Portal and ask anyone with bus, CCTV or Ring footage to contact them.

Summary

Police Launch Tipline

Police launched a WhatsApp tip line (0808 100 2230) and issued a privacy notice on data handling.
BBC Manchester posted the mother’s plea on Facebook, X and Instagram.
An officer read the mother’s message aloud at a Greater Manchester Police press conference.
Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley said officers have conducted extensive inquiries since Lillia was reported missing.
The family’s appeal was broadcast on local radio station Sounds, expanding its reach.

History

Historical Context

The July 2000 murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne in West Sussex sparked a national push for child-sex-offender alerts, leading the Home Office to fund a 2008 pilot that protected over 60 children and, after its 2011 expansion, safeguarded more than 200 in the first year. Today Greater Manchester Police’s alert portal and WhatsApp tip line echo that model in the search for Lillia Walton.

1 of 3

Greater Manchester Police Search

Greater Manchester Police are searching for 13-year-old Lillia Lloyd Walton, who vanished in Bolton.
She was last seen at Piccadilly Gardens bus station before 11 p.m. on September 11.
Detectives say her final confirmed sighting was at 1:50 p.m. on September 12 aboard bus 247 at the Trafford Centre.
Police have launched a Major Incident Public Portal and ask anyone with bus, CCTV or Ring footage to contact them.

1 / 3