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Missing businessman was depressed Education benefactor 'depressed'
(about 1 hour later)
A prominent education philanthropist who has gone missing from his home in south-west London was suffering from depression, a friend has said. An education philanthropist who has been reported missing was suffering from depression, a friend has said.
Sir Peter Lampl, the multi-millionaire chairman of the Sutton Trust charitable foundation, went missing from his Wimbledon home on Sunday morning. Sir Peter Lampl, the multi-millionaire chairman of the Sutton Trust charitable foundation, left his London home on Sunday morning.
Tim Devlin, who works for Sir Peter, said the 61-year-old had become downcast after his marriage broke down.Tim Devlin, who works for Sir Peter, said the 61-year-old had become downcast after his marriage broke down.
He said friends were "hoping and praying" that Sir Peter was safe. The Sutton Trust, founded in 1997, promotes social mobility through educational opportunity.
Mr Devlin said: "We are all hoping that he is just going to turn up, and something just happened in some way. Mr Devlin said friends were "hoping and praying" that Sir Peter was safe.
He said: "We are all hoping that he is just going to turn up, and something just happened in some way.
"As days go by we get more and more worried. He has not done anything like this before, he is normally quite meticulous about keeping in touch with people.""As days go by we get more and more worried. He has not done anything like this before, he is normally quite meticulous about keeping in touch with people."
Police in Merton said Sir Peter was last seen wearing a blue sweater and blue casual trousers. Last known whereabouts
Sir Peter's Sutton Trust channels about £3m annually into projects that promote bright children and encourage higher education. Sir Peter was last seen at his home in Wimbledon at 0830 on Sunday 15 February.
Detective Inspector Grahame Horwood from Merton police missing persons unit, said: "Sir Peter's disappearance is entirely out of character and his family are understandably very concerned for his safety."
Sir Peter is described as white, around 5ft 8ins, with fair/greying hair, blue eyes and a slight tan. He was wearing a blue sweater and blue casual trousers when he was last seen.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Merton police on 020 8649 3122 or Missing People on 0500 700 700.
Humble roots
Sir Peter's passion for educational opportunity stems from his own experiences as a child.
His father came to England aged 17 in 1938 to escape anti-Semitic persecution in Austria. He trained as an engineer at night school.
Sir Peter spent his childhood on a council estate in Yorkshire and passed the 11-plus for a place at grammar school.
Later his parents moved to Surrey and then to Cheltenham, where bright boys at his grammar school were encouraged to aim for Oxford or Cambridge.
He got a place at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he studied physical chemistry.
He subsequently took a London Business School course then worked for 20 years in the United States.
Sir Peter made his fortune with his private equity firm the Sutton Company and went on to set up the Sutton Trust in 1997.
Social mobility
The trust aims to promote social mobility through education and to provide educational opportunities for underprivileged children.
It has funded a large number of access projects in early years, school and university settings and now focuses primarily on research and policy work.
Sir Peter is committed to social justice and to empowering young people from less privileged homes to aim high.
He is an advocate of the grammar school system and how it can enable bright children from less affluent backgrounds to move up the social ladder, as he did.
In an article for the Sunday Times 18 months ago, he said: "Children's futures should not be down to luck: we must ensure that all young people have access to real educational opportunities."
Peter Lampl was knighted in 2003.