PEOPLE across Oxford are being urged to keep their eyes peeled for a missing girl.

Action for Children, which aims to raise £17m over the next three years, has put 23 three-foot-high models of six-year-old Emily in a series of locations around the city in a bid to highlight child neglect.

The yellow models are designed to stop shoppers and commuters in their tracks, and encourage them to find out more about the charity and its work.

Partly made of foam, the model has a website address on her arm where members of the public can get information about child neglect and the charity’s latest appeal.

She will be in the city for the next few weeks, starting today.

Tom McLaren Webb, head of campaigns at Action for Children, said he hoped people would be moved to visit the foundemily.com website.

He said: “It goes to the core idea that neglect is a really big issue that goes unnoticed, so we put mini Emilys out to highlight it and get people involved.”

Mr McLaren Webb said neglect affected 10 per cent of children across the country – roughly 1.5 million nationwide.

‘Emily’, now 20, and whose identity must remain anonymous, was a victim of child neglect and her story will be featured in the charity’s latest appeal advert later this month highlighting the number of victims.

She was neglected by her mother and by the age of seven was forced to look after her three siblings.

Mr McLaren Webb said: “It goes from children who are unclean or who smell to children who are showing inappropriate behaviour and relationships with adults.

“It could be kids who miss a meal, who are not dressed properly for the season or who lack love and time spent with their parents. There are neglected children in Oxfordshire, there is no doubt about it.

“Our research indicates that a lot of people predisposed to supporting the appeal live in and around Oxfordshire.”

Emily will also be appearing in another 25 UK locations.