Witness says 'something was off' when she saw mum moments before she vanished

14 December 2023 , 08:30

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Witness says 'something was off' when she saw mum moments before she vanished

A witness who believes she saw missing mum Gaynor Lord in a park says her behaviour was "a bit off".

Rosie Richards alleges she spotted the 55-year-old mother put her coat on the ground of at Wensum Park in Norwich and perform a yoga pose on Friday afternoon despite it getting dark.

She's spoken to Norfolk Constabulary which has centred its major search operation in the park and the river running through it. In the days since Mrs Lord vanished, officers have closed Wensum Park, used a drone and sonar equipment to scour the area and carried out underwater searches.

Gaynor Lord, pictured in a handout by Norfolk Police, was last seen on Friday afternoon as she left work (PA)

Search teams have scoured Wensum Park and River Wensum for Mrs Lord (Norwich Evening News / SWNS)

Ms Richards said today: "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."

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the woman, who lives in Norwich, 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."

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The mystery into the disappearance of the mother of three, just weeks before Christmas, deepens. Her family reported her missing on Friday evening and since then, her coat was discovered in the River Wensum in the park. Despite searching the river, the department store employee hasn't been found.

CCTV has been released showing the mum of three's last movements, including the moment she finishes work at a department store in Norwich (PA)

Footage of Mrs Lord's last movements - in Norwich city centre on Friday afternoon - has been released by Norfolk Police. The force says it particularly wants information regarding a mysterious 34 minutes, during which the mum appears to enter and exit Norwich Cathedral.

Less than two hours later, Ms Richards saw the woman matching Mrs Lord's description in Wensum Park, which is only one mile from the cathedral. The CCTV shows Mrs Lord appearing to run through streets towards the park. This is where her coat was found, and other belongings – including two rings, her mobile and more clothing - were strewn on the ground nearby.

Police understand Ms Lord entered the adjacent River Wensum partially unclothed. Superintendent Wes Hornigold, of Norfolk Constabulary, said that there was "no evidence" that she had come to harm but added: "Police believe the most likely scenario is that Gaynor has entered the water."

Rosie Richards spoke on Good Morning Britain

The officer added: "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. 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. This is a particularly stressful time for her family and specialist officers continue to provide support."

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, Lancashire, said: "We are all very worried. It is out of character and we just want her home."

Bradley Jolly