THE distraught family of a missing teen is pleading for help after days of no contact.

Leven Sopwith-Nicholson, 14, from Ulverston, was last seen by his family on Saturday night and is still yet to be found.

Leven is 5'8" of slim build with curly ginger hair and was wearing a green hoody, blue jeans and blue Asics tainers with orange trim when he left the family home.

Police believe the teen may be wild camping as he had taken a green Osprey rucksack with him that included a green Vango banshee funnel tent.

Posters have been distributed across the Lake District and Yorkshire Fells in a bid to find Leven.

Leven’s mum Fiona Sopwith said she was living every family’s ‘worst nightmare’ – and is desperately appealing for her son to come home.

Leven went missing after the family attended Ulverston Lantern Festival on Saturday together.

Mrs Sopwith said: “We all watched the fireworks together.

“Afterwards, Leven didn’t want to hang around and told us he was going home and don’t wake him up which wasn’t unusual for him to say because he likes an early night.

“This was around 9.30pm or 10pm. We decided to go home around 11ish and didn’t go into his room because you don’t normally go into a teenager’s room – Leven didn’t like that.

“We wanted to make sure he was there because we had been worried about him.

“When we went upstairs he wasn’t in bed and his rucksack was gone. My husband went to the allotment and he wasn’t there either, so we called the police.

“At first I thought he’d be warm and dry and knows the fells but I couldn’t understand why he had left so late at night.

“ I think he knew if he had asked us to go, we would have said no so decided to go and have an adventure.

“The first night was horrible but I thought he would be back the next day ready for school because he doesn’t like missing school.

“But now it’s Tuesday and we’re really worried. We never expected it to go on this long.

“We’re getting increasingly desperate and worried about him.

“We don’t know where he could be. He talked about going to the Alps and learning new languages, doing meditation, and playing music there but he didn’t take his passport.

“We’re scrambling around thinking of ideas of where he could be. He loved walking the Wainwrights and we thought maybe he could be doing Pillar because that’s the one he hasn’t done.

“Or maybe he could be doing the Cumbria Way or in the Yorkshire Fells. He’s taken around £100 and a digital radio.

“He knows the Lakes well but if his aim was to get to Switzerland, I’m not sure how he could get there.

“He’s a keen walker and adventurer – he’s in an orienteering group so knows the Lakes really well.

“He loves the outdoors – kayaking, climbing mountains and knows the names of all the fells.”

Mrs Sopwith said Leven has been struggling over lockdown and may be feeling ‘misunderstood’ by his peers.

She said: “He’s a real deep thinker and is quite misunderstood by people.

“He doesn’t feel like he fits in with other typical 14-year-olds and found the transition from primary to secondary school very hard.

“His mental health hasn’t been great and took a nosedive over lockdown.

“I think he feels he needs a new life because he feels so misunderstood by friends, family and teachers.

“We think he planned to do this. He left his diary to be found which talks of a plan to go away to the Alps but doesn’t give specifics.”

Mrs Sopwith said the family feels ‘helpless’ and just want Leven back home safe.

She said: “We’re all trying to stay strong for him but we’re really struggling.

“We’re doing everything we can to find him. There’s been lots of sightings as far away as Scotland and Yorkshire but nothing yet.

“I feel completely helpless. I don’t know what else to do. Everyone is wanting Leven to be found.

“We keep asking about CCTV on transport. Outside the Lakes is unfamiliar to him, he doesn’t have a phone or passport.

“This is a mother’s worst nightmare. We’re all really struggling. We just want him to be safe. I’m really worried about what’s he eating and whether he’s warm enough. We just want him back home.

“We would move to Switzerland for him – we’d do anything.

“We want to thank people for doing so much already because everything helps.”

A spokesman for Cumbria police said: “We would ask everyone whether in a city, town, village or the countryside to please look out for him and get in touch with any information.”

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact police on 101. Police also ask Leven to contact officers on the same number to let them know he is safe and well.