by Emily Straton and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, :London
38 minutes ago
Their families say Metropolitan Police failed to alert them that the girls' school friend was already in Syria.
The force admitted it could have given letters containing the information to the parents rather than the girls.
However, it said that the deputy head teacher of the girls' school, Bethnal Green Academy, had already contacted the families to inform them that their friend had travelled to Syria.
The force said all of the girls were being treated as potential witnesses who may have had information about their friend.
The girls were given letters to take to their parents, asking permission for counter-terrorism detectives to take handwritten statements about their friend's lifestyle and beliefs.
The letters, which made it clear that the girls were not being investigated, were found hidden in their bedrooms only after the three had left home.
The letters, first published by Vice News, were dated 2 February and handed to the girls three days later - 15 days before they left London.
The text of the letters read: "I understand your daughter may have known [the missing 15-year-old] as a friend.
"It is my role to understand [the missing girl] better and the reasons why she has decided to leave this country.
"I am trying to gather information which may help to find her and reunite her with her family.
"This will help the police and partner agencies to understand and prevent other vulnerable teenagers from disappearing. For these reasons I seek your permission to speak to your daughter."
"With the benefit of hindsight, we acknowledge that the letters could have been delivered direct to the parents.
"However, the parents were already aware from the deputy head that Girl 1 had travelled to Syria.
"All the teenagers were all being co-operative, they were all being treated as potential witnesses and there was nothing whatsoever to indicate that they themselves were planning to travel to Syria."
There was no indication of them being vulnerable or radicalised, the force added in a statement, saying: "There was nothing to suggest at the time that the girls themselves were at risk and indeed their disappearance has come as a great surprise, not least to their own families.
"It remains a priority to try to prevent people travelling to join terrorist groups whether they be determined terrorists, radicalised individuals or vulnerable teenagers."
The three girls are thought to have joined Islamic State (IS) in Syria, having initially taken a flight to London to Turkey.
Relatives have criticised detectives for not going to them directly with what they believe was vital information.
Kadiza's cousin, Fahmida Aziz, said: "I think it's absolutely crazy for an authority like a school or the police not to inform the parents.
"They kept us in the dark."
Halima Khanon, Kadiza's sister, added: "If we had known what was going on, we would have definitely looked into this... taken precautions with my sister."
Amira's father Abase Hussen said he believed he could have stopped her from leaving Britain for Syria.
Mr Hussen said: "The message I want to send is 'we love you, we miss you and [can't] imagine life without you'."
38 minutes ago
Police have said attempts to contact
the families of three London girls now thought to be in Syria could
have been handled differently "with hindsight".
Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, both 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, left their London homes last month. Their families say Metropolitan Police failed to alert them that the girls' school friend was already in Syria.
The force admitted it could have given letters containing the information to the parents rather than the girls.
However, it said that the deputy head teacher of the girls' school, Bethnal Green Academy, had already contacted the families to inform them that their friend had travelled to Syria.
Potential witnesses
Metropolitan Police officers spoke to Shamima, Amira and Kadiza and four other girls after their friend - a 15-year-old girl who has not been named - flew from Gatwick to Istanbul on 6 December and then to the region of Syria controlled by IS.The force said all of the girls were being treated as potential witnesses who may have had information about their friend.
The girls were given letters to take to their parents, asking permission for counter-terrorism detectives to take handwritten statements about their friend's lifestyle and beliefs.
The letters, which made it clear that the girls were not being investigated, were found hidden in their bedrooms only after the three had left home.
The letters, first published by Vice News, were dated 2 February and handed to the girls three days later - 15 days before they left London.
The text of the letters read: "I understand your daughter may have known [the missing 15-year-old] as a friend.
"It is my role to understand [the missing girl] better and the reasons why she has decided to leave this country.
"I am trying to gather information which may help to find her and reunite her with her family.
"This will help the police and partner agencies to understand and prevent other vulnerable teenagers from disappearing. For these reasons I seek your permission to speak to your daughter."
'Vulnerable teenagers'
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We now understand that these letters were not passed on in every case."With the benefit of hindsight, we acknowledge that the letters could have been delivered direct to the parents.
"However, the parents were already aware from the deputy head that Girl 1 had travelled to Syria.
"All the teenagers were all being co-operative, they were all being treated as potential witnesses and there was nothing whatsoever to indicate that they themselves were planning to travel to Syria."
There was no indication of them being vulnerable or radicalised, the force added in a statement, saying: "There was nothing to suggest at the time that the girls themselves were at risk and indeed their disappearance has come as a great surprise, not least to their own families.
"It remains a priority to try to prevent people travelling to join terrorist groups whether they be determined terrorists, radicalised individuals or vulnerable teenagers."
The three girls are thought to have joined Islamic State (IS) in Syria, having initially taken a flight to London to Turkey.
Relatives have criticised detectives for not going to them directly with what they believe was vital information.
Kadiza's cousin, Fahmida Aziz, said: "I think it's absolutely crazy for an authority like a school or the police not to inform the parents.
"They kept us in the dark."
Halima Khanon, Kadiza's sister, added: "If we had known what was going on, we would have definitely looked into this... taken precautions with my sister."
Amira's father Abase Hussen said he believed he could have stopped her from leaving Britain for Syria.
Mr Hussen said: "The message I want to send is 'we love you, we miss you and [can't] imagine life without you'."
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