THE search for a missing teenager who vanished outside her Newport home more than a week ago continued yesterday, as police officers searched near the International Sports Village.

Nida Naseer, an 18-year-old Coleg Gwent student, disappeared without her phone, coat or shoes, outside her Linton Street home in Pill on the evening of December 28 while putting out bin bags.

A second press conference involving the teenager’s family is scheduled to take place in Newport this morning, following an emotional appeal by her sister on breakfast television yesterday.

Gary Handley, campus director at Coleg Gwent’s City of Newport campus, said staff remain “extremely concerned” over Nida’s continued disappearance.

“She has been a model student, attending all her classes and making excellent progress on her Level 3 Business Diploma course,” he said, adding that leaflets were handed out to students yesterday as they returned from their Christmas break.

“We hope for the sake of Nida’s family and friends that this will help with the on-going police investigation,” he said.

Nida’s sister Naila Anwar, who lives in Manchester, told the Argus the family were out all night on December 28 looking for her.

“We can’t imagine she would go because she’s really scared of the dark,” she said of her sister, who left her anaemia medication behind when she vanished. “We thought she must be here somewhere. Her phone was upstairs and her shoes are still here, nothing is missing, her scarf was on the floor too.

“She has never done anything like this before. She is very quiet and wouldn’t go anywhere without her brother or sisters.”

The family is happy with the police investigation, she said, adding: “They are trying their best.”

Today’s press conference will be the third televised appeal the family have made for information regarding their sister’s whereabouts, after a conference at Gwent Police headquarters last week and an appeal on ITV’s Daybreak programme yesterday.

Mrs Anwar told the show: “[Nida] is very close to us, she would always share everything with us. It’s just out of character.

“She can’t live without her phone, she always talks on it all the time and texts me. Everything is at home, her purse, her shoes. We just want to know she’s safe.”

Their father, Dr Naseer Ahmad Tahir, said initial reports of an argument in the family had been exaggerated.

“We have some issues but only in the family. Everyone in the family [is] good. We want to see Nida here.”

Posters appealing for information about 18-year-old were translated into Urdu and distributed among Maindee’s Asian community as well as in Pill last week.

Officers previously searched near Stephenson Street and Felnex industrial estates in Lliswerry, and near Rodney Parade.

Miss Naseer, a former Duffryn High School pupil, was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black top, and is described as slim and 5ft 3in tall.

Anyone with information about the teenager is asked to call Gwent Police on 101.