Police searching for four missing teenagers on a camping trip in North Wales find the Silver Ford Fiesta they were travelling in as village is cordoned off and air ambulance lands nearby - as boy's worried mother says she 'didn't know he was going camping'

Police searching for four missing teenagers who went on a camping trip in North Wales have found the silver Ford Fiesta the group were last seen travelling in. 

Sixth form students Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson and Hugo Morris  were last seen in the Porthmadog area of Gwynedd on Sunday morning.

The teenagers, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, were due home on Monday but none of them have made contact with friends and family or been active on WhatsApp. 

On Tuesday afternoon, the A4085 which runs through the village of Garreg was cordoned off following information from a member of the public. An air ambulance is also believed to be on the scene. 

North Wales Police has not confirmed whether the boys have been found or given an update on their condition. 

Crystal Owen, the mother of Harvey, a 17-year-old student at Shrewsbury College doing A-levels, said she was unaware her son had gone camping and thought he was staying at a friend's grandfather's house for the night. 

She said: 'If I'd have known [where he was going] I wouldn't have let him due to the winter weather conditions. They are all sensitive, intelligent lads and we are just hoping they parked up, got lost and are OK.'

Two ambulance vehicles were also spotted driving through the police cordon on the A4085 between Garreg and Pont Aberglaslyn, according to the BBC. 

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called on Tuesday at approximately 10.08am to reports of an incident near the A4085 between Nantmor and Tan-Lan.

'We sent an operations manager, two emergency ambulances and two Cymru high acuity response units to the scene where we were supported by the emergency medical retrieval and transfer service in two Wales Air Ambulance charity helicopters.'

Helicopters were seen circling the Tremadog area, near Cnicht mountain in Snowdonia, on Tuesday morning in the hunt for the missing boys. 

A local, Emyr Owen, spoke to the BBC and said that it was 'atrocious weather' in the area on Sunday.

He said that he was awoken at 5am this morning to the sound of a helicopter searching the area. 

Mr Owen said that the police closed the road towards Beddgelert and added: 'I don't know what happened to four young men in the car, hopefully nothing bad.'

A coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon searched the area around the Glaslyn Nature Reserve at 4.30am, but returned to base with 'nothing found'.

It has emerged that the four were not experienced campers and only had a tent and sleeping bags with them.

Lisa Corfield, whose daughter Maddi is 17-year-old Wilf's girlfriend, told MailOnline: 'They are not experienced campers. They have never been there before. [They] were just going for the night so have a tent and sleeping bags but only the basics.' 

Harvey's mother reposted the appeal post shared by North Wales Police on Facebook and wrote: 'I am frantic with worry, one of these boys is my son Harvey, please please please share and tag anyone in Wales or get in touch with any information you may have.'

Another family member, Mel Hirst, said they were 'desperate for any news' and pleaded users to keep sharing the post. 

Ms Corfield said the boys have not been seen or heard from and she begged people to share the post with as many people as possible so that they could 'try and get them home safely'.

She told the Shropshire Star that the group set out to go camping on Saturday and were expected back on Sunday morning, but they 'never returned'. 

Ms Corfield said: 'Everybody is sick with worry and have not heard anything from them, which is very unusual for them. They have been trying their phones which must be either off or with no battery.' 

Another mother of one of the missing boys wrote on a public Facebook group to ask for help.

Heather Sanderson wrote: 'Good evening, my son and his three friends have been missing since yesterday lunchtime. 

'They left Harlech and their phone records show they were in Porthmadog at 12 midday yesterday Sunday 19th November. 

'They had some camping equipment with them but we are very concerned at the time since they contacted family and friends.'

She signed off the message with 'please help if you can' and said that all the boys are 'just 17 years old'. 

Locals reported that a helicopter had been searching the Penrhyndeudraeth area before heading toward Nantmor and Beddgelert.

The area where the boys are missing is remote and mountainous, with narrow, winding single-lane roads into Snowdonia National Park.

Shrewsbury College has also issued a statement, telling the BBC that they 'hope the teenagers are found safe and well soon'. 

Police and mountain rescue teams are searching the area for the group and have urged anyone who may have seen them to contact them immediately. 

North Wales Police said in a statement: 'Police have concerns for four young males missing from the Harlech/Porthmadog area since the morning of the 19/11/23.

'The four males' names are Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson and Hugo Morris.

'Any sightings please contact North Wales Police and quote ref num A184194.'