Pal had mystery phone call from missing mum minutes after last CCTV sighting
Gaynor Lord's friend received mysterious phone calls from the missing mum on the day she disappeared.
Norfolk Constabulary released new CCTV footage today of what they believe is the last sighting of Ms Lord before she disappeared in Norwich on Friday. Officers said "everything we know is pointing to a high probability" that she went into the River Wensum, saying "nobody knows why she's done what she's done."
The 55-year-old mother-of-three disappeared after leaving work early from Norwich city centre at 2.45pm. Her belongings were found in Wensum Park - around 1.5 miles away from her workplace at Jarrold department store - and her coat was discovered in the river, which runs through the park.
Follow the Mirror's live blog on the Gaynor Lord search here
CCTV issued by Norfolk Police of missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord leaving work (PA)Friend Julie Butcher, says she got two calls from her on Friday afternoon. At 2.15pm Ms Lord called and asked where Ms Butcher was. Ms Butcher told the BBC: "I said 'I'm at home' and I explained I was sorting out the internet and my phone rang and it was one of my clients and I had to speak to them. I said I would call her back and she said 'yes'".
Gaynor Lord hunt sees rescue team scour river in search for missing woman
She said she called Ms Lord back seven or eight minutes later but could not get through. So she tried again and left a voicemail before also sending a WhatsApp message, saying she was now free to talk. I think she was still at work when she called me, I don't know. But maybe that's why she couldn't answer," she said.
Ms Lord seen on CCTV on St Augustines Street (Norfolk Police)She received another call at 4.15pm but said it "sounded like a pocket call; I could hear movement in her pocket". Ms Butcher said she has replayed the conversation over and over again. She said: "I keep going over the conversation. If I hadn't answered that call [from her client] would she have talked to me? I feel terrible. I feel so sorry for the family. It's not like Gaynor to do this."
Ms Butcher said she seemed "fine" when they last met on Tuesday last week. "We were talking. She was a bit busy but we were talking about Christmas and she seemed fine, no different to the usual Gaynor. She was quite upbeat and happy," she told the BBC.
The newly released CCTV clip shows Ms Lord, wearing glasses and a long coat, walking along St Augustines Street in Norwich, which is busy with passing traffic, at 4.01pm on Friday. Norfolk officers have said that her clothing, mobile phone, glasses and jewellery, including two rings, were discovered at various locations in the park.
Ms Lord leaving the grounds of the cathedral in Norwich (PA)A huge search is ongoing by specialist divers, who the force said are working in an "extraordinarily challenging environment". Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley confirmed his team has consulted officers from Lancashire Police who worked on the search for Nicola Bulley. Ms Bulley's body was found in the River Wyre, in Lancashire, on February 19.
The Lancashire force was criticised over its handling of that investigation and the disclosure of Ms Bulley's personal information. The CCTV footage released earlier this week shows Ms Lord jogging up the cobbled Bedford Street after leaving work at the Bullards Gin counter in Jarrolds department store at 2.45pm, more than an hour before her shift was due to end at 4pm.
Divers are scouring the river near where Ms Lord's belongings were found (Newsquest / SWNS)She was wearing a white shirt and a yellow tank top, and was carrying her large olive-coloured coat under her arm. She can be seen on the footage walking in to London Street at 2.47pm and then crossing the road in Queen Street without waiting for a red light, narrowly missing moving traffic, heading towards the cathedral. Around 30 minutes later, at 3.22pm, video shows Ms Lord putting her jacket on as she walks away from Norwich Cathedral.
At 3.49pm, CCTV captured her walking along St George's Street near to the Playhouse theatre. She then walked along St Crispins Road towards Pitt Street at 3.53pm. Ms Lord is described as white, 5ft 6in, and has a blonde shoulder-length bob.
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