Gaynor Lord detectives call Nicola Bulley police for help in search as friend of missing mother says park where she vanished was a favourite dog walking spot and sonar teams scour river for clues
- Gaynor Lord, 55, was last seen on Friday after she left work early in Norwich
- Stepbrother Allan Weston urges anyone with information to come forward
- Follow MailOnline’s liveblog for all the latest updates on missing Gaynor Lord
Detectives investigating the disappearance of missing mother Gaynor Lord called in police involved in the Nicola Bulley case today as the search went into its sixth day.
The 55-year-old was last seen on Friday afternoon after she left work early from Norwich. Her belongings, including clothing, two rings, a mobile phone and glasses, were found scattered in Wensum Park, around one mile from her workplace.
Mrs Lord’s coat was discovered in the River Wensum, which runs through the park, and Norfolk Police are now using sonar equipment as part of their search efforts.
Officers are also speaking to detectives from Lancashire Constabulary who led to the search for Ms Bulley, who disappeared after dropping her two daughters at school in St Michael’s on Wyre on January 27. Her body was found in the River Wyre on February 19, about a mile from where she vanished while walking her dog.
The Lancashire force was criticised over its probe and the disclosure of Ms Bulley’s personal details. An inquest concluded her death was accidental, that she fell into the river on the day she disappeared and died almost immediately in the cold water.
Meanwhile friends revealed today that Mrs Lord would have been ‘well familiar’ with the area of Norwich where she vanished because she loved to walk her dog there.
As officers continued to search on land and water, other developments included:
- Mrs Lord’s family criticised internet ghouls for speculating over the case;
- A witness said she saw Mrs Lord take off her coat before she went missing;
- She may have met a mystery person at the cathedral before vanishing; and
- Police released CCTV of her smiling as she left work at a department store.
Mrs Lord played tennis at Stanmore Tennis Club just outside the city, and its welfare officer Simon Valentine said today that her disappearance is ‘out of character’.
Police search the New Mills Yard area of the River Wensum in Norwich this morning
Detectives are using sonar equipment to the River Wensum in Norwich this morning
The New Mills Yard area of the River Wensum is the search focus for police this morning
Police continue to scour the River Wensum by Wensum Park in Norwich, pictured yesterday
Gaynor Lord was last seen on Friday afternoon as she left work early from Norwich city centre
Norfolk Police is attempting to learn lessons from Lancashire Constabulary, which handled the search for missing mother Nicola Bulley (pictured), who disappeared earlier this year
Mr Valentine told the Eastern Daily Press that she would have known the Wensum Park area before going there on Friday, adding: ‘She knew all these areas by the river. I don’t think she would have gone there if not.’
READ MORE Gaynor Lord eyewitness who saw missing mother take off her coat before performing yoga pose in park moments before she disappeared says she ‘seemed calm’ but her behaviour was ‘a bit off’ – as search enters sixth day
He also said she was an ‘active member’ who was much-loved and widely known at the club, and regularly attending sessions on Wednesday mornings until recently.
Mr Valentine added: ‘She is a lovely lady. We all got on with her. She played a lot here in the summer and around Covid time but sometimes didn’t always come.’
The club’s secretary Greg Tyler also said: ‘We are all very fond of her here. It’s all just so odd and I can’t figure it out.’
It comes as Mrs Lord’s stepbrother Allan Weston today revealed her family were ‘very worried’ following her disappearance which he said was ‘proper out of character’.
As a major search led by Norfolk Police continued, Mr Weston told The Sun : ‘We just hope she comes back safe. If anyone does know anything please come forward.
As a major search led by Norfolk Police continued, Mr Weston told The Sun: ‘We just hope she comes back safe. If anyone does know anything please come forward.
‘It’s been a few days now since she went missing so we are very worried. This is proper out of character. She has never gone missing or anything like that before.’
This timeline shows what we know so far about how Gaynor Lord’s disappearance unfolded
Rosie Richards said she saw a woman fitting Mrs Lord’s description at Wensum Park in Norwich
FRIDAY 2.44pm – CCTV issued by Norfolk Police of missing Gaynor Lord leaving work at the Bullards Gin counter in the basement at Jarrold department store in Norwich on December 8
It comes as a witness who allegedly saw Mrs Lord shortly before she vanished has revealed she saw her put her coat on the ground of a park and perform a yoga pose.
READ MORE Missing Gaynor Lord’s family slam internet ghouls for speculating on the 55-year-old’s disappearance as police release CCTV of her smiling as she leaves work
Rosie Richards said she saw a woman fitting Mrs Lord’s description at Wensum Park in Norwich last Friday afternoon and described her as appearing ‘quite calm’.
But the witness, who lives nearby, claimed something ‘just seemed a bit off’ because it was getting dark at the time around 4pm. Mrs Lord’s personal effects were later found at the park and her coat was in the River Wensum, which runs through it.
Ms Richards told ITV ‘s Good Morning Britain : ‘To me she seemed quite calm. She was sort of putting her coat down on the floor and sort of performing a yoga pose. It just seemed a bit off at this time because obviously it was starting to get dark.’
She added: ‘It’s really upsetting. I’m thinking of her friends and family because she is a similar age to my mum and that would be awful to be going through what they are going through now.’
Another witness saw a woman who could have been twice-married Mrs Lord in the park at around 4pm. They said she ‘removed her coat and performed a yoga pose’.
FRIDAY 2.47pm – Gaynor Lord is seen in Norwich walking along London Street past Cosy Club
FRIDAY 2.48pm – Gaynor Lord makes her way onto Queens Street before crossing into Tombland and walking towards Norwich Cathedral
FRIDAY 3.22pm – Gaynor Lord is seen leaving the Cathedral grounds about 30 minutes later. At 3.49pm she is spotted on CCTV near the Playhouse on St George’s Street before walking along St Crispins Road towards Pitt Street. At 4.01pm she walks up St Augustines Street
It comes as the mystery of mother-of-three Mrs Lord deepened after newly released CCTV footage showed her smiling at work – moments before she was seen running through nearby streets.
READ MORE Missing mother Gaynor Lord, 55, ‘may have met mystery person at cathedral before vanishing’ as police ‘investigate lost 34 minutes’ and her worried family plead: ‘We just want her home’
Mrs Lord left a department store in Norwich on Friday afternoon but never made it home.
Her coat was found in the river running through the park a mile away five hours later, while other belongings – including two rings, her mobile and clothing – were strewn on the ground nearby.
The discovery sparked a huge police search on land and water.
Norfolk Police issued CCTV footage yesterday which showed her smiling and clutching her brown handbag at the concession she worked in at Jarrolds department store. She was wearing a yellow tank top over a white shirt.
She left at 2.45pm – 75 minutes before the end of her shift – and was seen running along a street with her olive-coloured coat over her left arm moments later.
Mrs Lord then dashed through moving traffic on a main road in the direction of the city’s Anglican cathedral. She left the grounds 30 minutes later, again appearing to be in a hurry, putting her coat on as she marched away. The last sighting of her on camera was at 4.01pm.
Police crews are seen searching the River Wensum at Wensum Park in Norwich yesterday
Officers at the scene of the search at Wensum Park in Norwich after Mrs Lord went missing
Superintendent Wes Hornigold of Norfolk Police said the force was releasing CCTV footage in an attempt to ‘jog the memory of anyone who may have seen her in the city that afternoon’
Superintendent Wes Hornigold said: ‘We hope this will help to jog the memory of anyone who may have seen her in the city that afternoon or who may have footage of her journey.
READ MORE Police release CCTV of missing mother Gaynor Lord smiling as she left work at department store before running through city centre – as specialist divers join search five days after she vanished
‘We are particularly keen on hearing from anyone who may have seen Gaynor in the cathedral grounds, which she enters at 2.50pm and leaves at 3.23pm. It’s not clear where she goes inside the cathedral grounds during this time.’
He added: ‘This is a particularly stressful time for her family and specialist officers continue to provide support.’
Speaking about their work with Nicola Bulley detectives, Mr Hornigold told LBC: ‘We will absolutely – and have done – be linking in with Lancashire Constabulary to understand any of the lessons learned from that inquiry.
‘We’ve already had meetings with the National Crime Agency in terms of understanding any specific skills and knowledge in respect to water searching.’
He added: ‘We’re cognisant of the recent College of Policing report into the Lancashire inquiry, so we’re leaving no stone unturned and making sure we’re doing everything within our power to find Gaynor as quickly as possible.’
Mrs Lord’s personal effects were found at Wensum Park, a mile from the department store. Her coat was in the river Wensum.
Police divers search the river yesterday and use sonar at Wensum Park in Norwich
A police drone at Wensum Park searching for Gaynor Lord earlier this week
Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich, said on X today: ‘Prayers offered here for the safety of missing Norwich woman Gaynor Lord, for her family and friends, and the emergency services who are searching for her.
READ MORE Last sighting in search for missing mother Gaynor Lord: Department store worker, 55, was spotted at 4pm last Friday in same Norwich park where her clothes and mobile phone were found
‘If you saw her in the Cathedral Close, or have any information, please contact Norfolk Police.’
Mrs Lord’s husband Clive, 63, a financial adviser, has not commented on the case.
Her half-brother Allan Weston, 43, who lives in Blackpool, said: ‘We are all very worried. It is out of character and we just want her home.’
Police say the ‘most likely scenario’ is that Mrs Lord ended up in the river. Specialist divers were brought in from Lincolnshire Police yesterday, along with advanced sonar equipment.
Norfolk Police’s own marine unit, Norfolk Fire and Rescue and the Coastguard were already involved in the search.
Officers are examining Mrs Lord’s phone to see if it holds clues to her state of mind. They want to know why she left work early and why she took a route which was not her normal one home.
Mr Hornigold – who has said there is no evidence of anyone else being involved – said: ‘There’s no evidence that Gaynor has come to harm and, while we have a number of enquiries ongoing, given where her clothing was found and other items, there is a real possibility that she has entered the water.’
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