Gaynor Lord: Divers to join search for missing Norwich woman

Norfolk Police have discussed the possibility of "specialist teams" joining the hunt for Gaynor Lord in the river Wensum after she went missing on Friday.

Gaynor Lord (Image: Norfolk police)Items belonging to Gaynor, who was last seen on London Street at about 2.35pm on Friday, heading towards Norwich Cathedral, were found later that day at Wensum Park.

Fire and police teams searching for Gaynor Lord (Image: Sonya Duncan, Newsquest)For the past few days the park has been at the heart of the hunt for the missing woman with multiple police units, the police drone and fire crews involved.

A police drone has been used in the search for Gaynor Lord (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)Norwich commander, Superintendent Wes Hornigold, said the force was now looking at the possibility of using dive teams with a "specialist capability to search the water ways".

Superintendent Wes Hornigold (Image: Sonya Duncan, Newsquest)He said the force's own search teams, together with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service and others had so far been involved in the search, but were now looking for other teams that "could help".

Police and fire teams searching the river at Wensum Park (Image: Sonya Duncan, Newsquest)Searches of the park and the river are expected to continue on Tuesday when the park will remain cordoned off and closed to the public.

Supt Hornigold insisted it was still a "missing persons enquiry" with "no evidence of any third party involvement".

Police at Wensum Park (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)He said the picture being built up through family and friends, who are being supported by police, was this was very much "out of character" for Gaynor to have gone missing.

Police searc (Image: Sonya Duncan, Newsquest)A "significant" search operation got underway after police were notified of the discovery of clothing and a handbag belonging to Gaynor at the park at about 8.10pm on Friday.

Other items, including her mobile phone and jacket were found on Saturday morning.

Several police units have remained at the scene over the weekend and were joined by search teams from the fire service, with inflatable boats, on Monday.

Search teams at the River Wensum (Image: Sonya Duncan, Newsquest)During the day they could be seen wading through the river as well as taking to the water on boats as the search continued.

Supt Hornigold said they have done a "significant amount of work to piece together the events leading up to her going missing".

He has urged members of the public who might have any footage of Gaynor, whether dashcam, doorbell footage or otherwise, to get in contact with police.

Police at Wensum Park (Image: Sonya Duncan, Newsquest)Gaynor is described as white, 5 ft 6 tall, and was wearing a white shirt and yellow tank top with a large olive-coloured coat over the top and a scarf. 

She has blonde shoulder length hair in a bob.

Anyone with information or who knows of her whereabouts should contact Norfolk Police on 101 quoting incident number 427 of 8 December 2023.