POLICE are growing increasingly concerned for the safety of two teenage girls who have not been seen since last Sunday.

North Yorkshire's major investigation team is now involved in the search for the two young Vietnamese girls who live in the York area.

Thi Phan, 15, and 14-year-old Tram Le were last seen near York Minster at around 12.30pm on Sunday.

Both girls are around 5ft 2ins tall. Tram Le was wearing a blue and white top and black trousers. Thi Phan was wearing jeans and a baggy shirt.

Detective Inspector Steve Menzies said: “We are very concerned for the welfare of these two girls and we have officers working around the clock trying to locate them.

“If anyone thinks that they have seen the girls then I would urge them to get in touch immediately.

“Both speak very little English so I would also appeal to anyone from the Vietnamese community who may have been approached by them or who may have some information about the girls to also get in touch.

“This can be done in confidence either directly to the police via 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could help our investigation.”

The York Rescue Boat was called in by police on Sunday to carry out a precautionary search of York’s two rivers.

Boat spokesman Dave Horn said the crew searched the River Ouse from Clifton Bridge down to the Millennium Bridge, and the River Foss from Huntington Road down to the Foss Basin near its confluence with the Ouse, but found nothing.

He said the boat crew remained on standby to resume the search if asked by police, as was normally the case when people went missing in York.

Anyone who has seen the two girls, or has any information which could help to locate them should contact 101 immediately, select option one and speak to the force control room.