Murder probe into missing woman shares possible sightings

Charlene Hobbs, 36, has been missing since July, prompting police to launch a murder inquiry

Police treating the disappearance of a missing woman as murder have received two potential new sightings of her.

The last confirmed sighting of Charlene Hobbs, 36, from Riverside, Cardiff, was a photograph of her taken at a property in Broadway, Adamsdown, on 24 July 2024 at 06:07 BST.

However, South Wales Police is appealing for witnesses to come forward after she was potentially seen five days later with two men, one of whom was wearing a "face covering".

She was also possibly seen in November at an Asda in Coryton with a young boy before they left with a woman aged about 40, according to the force.

Detectives are appealing for these unknown people, who they said were potential witnesses, to contact the police.

Det Ch Insp Matt Powell said: "Despite a huge number of enquiries, we still have no proof that Charlene is alive but we remain determined to find Charlene alive and return her to her family."

Ms Hobbs was potentially seen "walking in a single file with two men" on a railway bridge, known locally as the Black Bridge, which links Adamsdown and Splott, on 29 July at about 11:20 BST.

One man was described as average height with a pale complexion, aged in his 30s or 40s.

The other was wearing a black face covering but it is not known if that was part of a coat, a scarf, or balaclava. He was also said to be of average height.

The force said Ms Hobbs may have been wearing a blue jacket.

In the second potential sighting, she was seen by the front security desk at Asda in Coryton with a boy aged about four on 1 November at approximately 17:30 GMT.

A woman, described as aged about 40 with short burgundy dyed hair, approached Ms Hobbs and all three left the supermarket together, South Wales Police said.

Charlene Hobbs in a CCTV image from a shop in Adamsdown and in a photo from a property in Broadway

Det Ch Insp Powell added: "We would appeal to anyone with further information on these two sightings in Adamsdown and Coryton to please come forward.

"In particular, we are urging the two men on the railway bridge and the woman with the dyed burgundy hair in Asda to come forward."

He said Ms Hobbs' family "continue to be updated, and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time".

Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for Ms Hobbs' disappearance.