A female athlete who finished 20th in the London Marathon may have fled to avoid flying back to Sierra Leone.

Mami Konneh Lahun, 24, was last seen after finishing the 26.2 mile course yesterday and is due to return home today.

Police have put out an appeal after Miss Lahun failed to return to her temporary accommodation  in Greenwich yesterday.

MailOnline understands she was allowed into Britain to compete on a temporary visa.

The athlete, who is Sierra Leone's fastest-ever 5,000 metre and 10,000 metre runner, last year won her country's marathon and in neighbouring Liberia.

Scotland Yard said she arrived in Britain a week ago to prepare for the marathon, and finished in just over 2 hours 46 minutes.

Detectives looking into her disappearance say she has no known links to the UK and does not have a mobile phone.

It came after the London Olympics in 2012, where dozens of athletes and coaches disappeared or claimed asylum after the Games.

-Culled From DM