An Oxford Brookes student who had been reported to Thames Valley Police as missing resurfaced on Sunday evening, after it emerged that he had been writing his dissertation for the past three weeks. </p>
The fourth year history student from Oxford Brookes, Andrew Stout, had not been seen since Thursday night, 3rd February, at the nightclub Camera, on St Ebbe’s Street. His phone had been inactive since 8th February.</p>
As well as alerting the police, a Facebook campaign was launched to find Stout, urging the public to report news of the missing finalist, and posters were circulated around Oxford town centre by concerned family members and friends. </p>
However, the mystery of Stout’s whereabouts was solved when he contacted the Thames Valley police directly on Sunday. According to a press report “When [the student] became aware that he had been declared missing he made contact with Thames Valley Police by telephone.” </p>
Stout was asked to come in to the police station and confirm his identity which he did at 5pm on Sunday.</p>
The 22-year-old student said that “this has all been down to a small misunderstanding”. He has issued a statement of apology on Facebook. </p>
Family members had contacted the police last week to alert them that the student was missing. </p>
Thames Valley police issued an appeal on Friday, 25th February for information about the student’s whereabouts, saying, “[The student] is in his final year of study at Oxford Brookes and has not attended University since the start of term.”</p>
Sgt David Whittle said, “We are concerned for his welfare as this behaviour is very out of character.”</p>
A friend of Stout commented, “We all believe that this kind of drama could have only happened to him! He is that sort of person.” </p>
Friends expressed their “relief” that Stout had been found on the Facebook group, after one friend posted that he had just received a “very out of the blue message” from the student.
