A TEARFUL mother today begged her missing son to come home as concern continues to grow about the safety of the 14-year-old.David Beresford, who has learning difficulties, left his father's house, in Inverness Road, Ipswich, to go out and play at around 5.

A TEARFUL mother today begged her missing son to come home as concern continues to grow about the safety of the 14-year-old.

David Beresford, who has learning difficulties, left his father's house, in Inverness Road, Ipswich, to go out and play at around 5.30pm on Sunday, March 23.

He has now been missing for nine days and the last contact with him was via a phone call from outside Norwich Railway Station at around 7.40pm on March 23.

Today, his mother, Helen Mayhew, from Leiston, pleaded with her son to come home and reassured him that he is not in trouble.

"The last few days have been hell, she said. "I just don't know what to do. I sit by the phone just hoping he is going to turn up.

"I don't know anybody in Norwich and I don't know what he is doing there. He's probably stuck up there because he wouldn't know how to get back.

"What I am afraid of is that he has hitched a lift and hasn't been bought back. I just hope to God he's OK."

She added that David had been "wandering" over the last few months but said there was no reason for him to be away so long. Although he has gone missing in the past, he has always turned up within a couple days.

David, who attends a residential school in Cumbria, is believed to have borrowed some money to get to Norwich and is thought he boarded a train shortly after 5.30pm on March 23.

After arriving in Norwich, David made a phone call to his father at around 7.40pm to say he was in Norwich. This was the last contact with him.

Detective inspector Mike Bacon, who is leading a team of four officers working on the case, said it would be treated as a missing person's enquiry until there was "evidence to the contrary".

"As the length of time moves on, we do become more and more concerned but I'm hoping today's press conference will help, he said.

"We've got no evidence about why he went away. We've been carrying out enquiries with his family and friends but so far this has not been of any use."

He said there had been reported sightings of David in both Suffolk and Norfolk and these leads are currently being followed up.

Anyone with any information about David's whereabouts should call Ipswich police on 01473 613500 or Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111.