Summary

  • Julie Butcher, a friend of missing woman Gaynor Lord, said she received two calls from her on Friday afternoon, when she disappeared

  • Ms Butcher said she saw her friend in Jarrolds, the Norwich department store where Ms Lord worked, three days earlier, when she "seemed fine"

  • Police say there's a "high probability" that mother-of-three Ms Lord went into the River Wensum in the city

  • Officers say this "working hypothesis" is based on CCTV footage and their "very limited" witnesses - though say they're keeping an "open mind"

  • They've also released new video of the 55-year-old walking along St Augustine’s Street - which they say is the last footage of her before she went missing

  • Divers are searching the river for Ms Lord and continue to look through Wensum Park for clues

  • A member of the public found clothing and jewellery belonging to Ms Lord in the park on Friday

  • In his update to reporters, Ch Supt Dave Buckley said: "Nobody saw her go into the river but we know she ended up in the park"

  1. Searches will continuepublished at 18:45 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Norfolk Police and specialist teams from Lancashire and Lincolnshire will continue searches to find missing 55-year-old Gaynor Lord.

    Police today said there is a "high probability" Ms Lord went into the River Wensum in Norwich. However river searches have been impeded due to "challenging" search conditions.

    Further searches are expected to take place over the coming days to ensure officers are "missing nothing".

    We are ending our coverage here, thank you for joining us.

  2. Key movementspublished at 18:27 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Images below show points where Gaynor Lord was seen before disappearing in Norwich.

    She left work via Bedford Street, onto London Street before making her way towards the cathedral via Queen Street.

    She left the cathedral grounds after about 33 minutes and was next seen on George Street, near the Playhouse.

    She then walked along St Crispins Road towards Pitt Street and her final movements on CCTV were caught as she walked up St Augustines Stereet.

    Witnesses have reported seeing her near to and in Wensum Park, where the police search is now focused in the river.

    Aerial images show points where Gaynor Lord was seen in Norwich City centre
    Map showing key details including Wensum Park, St Augustines Street and Wensum Park
  3. What we know so farpublished at 17:18 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Diving teams on the riverbankImage source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
    • Specialist divers again searched the River Wensum close to where Gaynor Lord's belongings were found scattered across Wensum Park on Friday night
    • Norfolk Police have consulted detectives from Lancashire Police who investigated the disappearance of Nicola Bulley earlier this year
    • Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and a specialist team from Lincolnshire Police have also been helping the force with the search
    • Officers from Norfolk Constabulary have also been searching an area of wasteland nearby while Lancashire Fire and Rescue were spotted at New Mills Yard pumping station about 0.7 miles (1.2km) downstream
    • Ms Lord left work at Jarrolds department store early at 14:45 GMT
    • She phoned a friend twice on Friday afternoon at about 14:15 and 16:15 but the second call is thought to have been a pocket dial
    • She was seen on CCTV rushing through Norwich city centre and spent 33 minutes in the grounds of Norwich Cathedral before heading in the direction of Wensum Park
    • A witness in the park said she saw a woman matching Ms Lord's description in a "yoga pose" at about 16:00 and she seemed "calm"
    • Footage has been released of her final moments caught on CCTV as she walked up St Augustines Street
    • Police believe she may have entered the River Wensum and officers do not suspect "third party involvement"
    • It may take several days for river searches to be completed, police warned
  4. CCTV shows Gaynor Lord leaving workpublished at 16:46 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Gaynor Lord in CCTV footageImage source, Norfolk Police
    Image caption,

    Gaynor Lord left work at Jarrolds early on Friday afternoon, three days after her friend Julie Butcher saw her in the store

    Gaynor Lord's friend Julie Butcher has spoken of seeing her in department store Jarrolds, where she worked on a gin concession, on Tuesday, when she "seemed fine".

    Ms Lord left work early on the day she disappeared.

    She is described as 5ft 6in (1.67m) tall, white with blonde, shoulder-length hair in a bob.

    This CCTV image from the store shows what she was wearing that day, including a white blouse and yellow tank top.

    Her clothes and other items, including jewellery and a mobile phone, were discovered by a member of the public at Wensum Park later on Friday.

  5. Gaynor Lord 'seemed fine' days before going missingpublished at 16:15 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Debbie Tubby
    BBC Look East

    Julie Butcher said she last saw Gaynor Lord in Jarrolds department store, where Ms Lord was working, on Tuesday, three days before her disappearance.

    Ms Butcher was doing some Christmas shopping and said, although busy, her friend seemed "fine".

    She said: "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.

    "The last thing she said to me in Jarrolds was 'I'll call you in the spring and play tennis.'"

    She described Ms Lord as "lovely, upbeat and very positive" and "very family orientated".

    Ms Butcher said she spoke to police on Saturday.

  6. Friend 'feels terrible' over call from Gaynor Lordpublished at 16:07 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Debbie Tubby
    BBC Look East

    Julie ButcherImage source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
    Image caption,

    Julie Butcher said she received two calls from Gaynor Lord on Friday afternoon

    A friend of Gaynor Lord's, Julie Butcher, says she got two calls from her on Friday afternoon.

    At 14:15 GMT Ms Lord called and asked where Ms Butcher was.

    Ms Butcher said: "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'".

    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.

    She received another call at 16:15 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."

  7. River search 'could take days'published at 15:54 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    During an earlier press conference, Ch Supt Dave Buckley said it may be days before police stopped searching the river.

    "It will take probably a couple of days to get to a position that we're content with what we're done, maybe longer," he said.

    He said this was partially down to the "challenging" conditions, including limited visibility and debris, that divers and their equipment were working with,

  8. Watch: Norfolk police update in fullpublished at 15:38 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Here is Ch Supt Dave Buckley's press conference from earlier, where he said there was a "high probability" Gaynor Lord went into the River Wensum.

    Media caption,

    Police issue update on missing woman Gaynor Lord

  9. Gaynor Lord's last known movementspublished at 15:34 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    CCTV showing Gaynor Lord leaving the grounds of the cathedral in NorwichImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Ms Lord's movements before going missing were caught on CCTV across Norwich, including in the grounds of the cathedral

    Here is a timeline of Gaynor Lord's last known movements before going missing on Friday 8 December

    14:44 Ms Lord is working at the Bullards Gin counter in the basement at Jarrolds department store in Norwich

    14:45-14:46 She leaves the store, via the loading bay, on Bedford Street

    14:47 Ms Lord walks on to London Street past the Cosy Club

    14:48 She makes her way on to Queen Street and walks toward the cathedral

    15:22 She is seen on The Close at the cathedral entrance and shortly before exiting through the archway, she puts her coat on

    15:23 Ms Lord is seen to walk away from the cathedral along Queen Street – and at this moment you can see a clear image of the coat she is wearing

    15:49 She is seen on CCTV near the Playhouse on St George’s Street

    15:53 Ms Lord walks along St Crispins Road towards Pitt Street

    16:01 Her final movements on CCTV are captured as she walks up St Augustines Street

  10. Watch: New CCTV footage of Gaynor Lord releasedpublished at 15:21 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Police have released new CCTV footage of Gaynor Lord, which you can watch below:

    Media caption,

    Gaynor Lord: New CCTV released of missing Norwich woman

  11. A recap of where the police investigation is:published at 15:15 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Earlier we heard from Ch Supt Dave Buckley, who gave an update of where the police are in the search for missing Gaynor Lord.

    • Ch Supt Buckley said there was a "high probability" Ms Lord went into the River Wensum but said the search conditions in the water were very challenging, with divers only able to see about a foot in front of them
    • Specialist teams from Lincolnshire are assisting, he added, saying sonar equipment allows divers to search underwater in more detail
    • Ch Supt Buckley said the police are being really thorough in their search, as they want to be sure they are "missing nothing"
    • There is nothing from the CCTV to show police who Ms Lord may have spoken to, or interacted with, between leaving work and when she ended up in the park.
    • Releasing the CCTV clips to the public has not yielded any new leads
    • Ch Supt Buckley says they have spoken to colleagues from Lancashire Constabulary about their investigation into Nicola Bulley's disappearance earlier this year, saying "we will always learn from jobs which have happened before"
    • The officer said some of Ms Lord's behaviour has been "out of character" and the police are supporting her friends and family

    Stay with us as we continue to bring you live updates.

  12. Gaynor Lord's workplace is 'helping police'published at 15:05 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Smiling Gaynor Lord in a yellow vest over a white shirt and black trousers. She is holding a brown handbag and exiting from behind a gin counteer in JarroldsImage source, Norfolk Constabulary

    Gaynor Lord was seen leaving work at the Bullards Gin counter in the basement of Jarrolds department store in Norwich at 14:22 GMT on 8 December.

    A spokesperson for the store said they were "helping police with their enquiries" and their thoughts are with Ms Lord's family and friends.

  13. Sonar, underwater drones and divers being usedpublished at 14:50 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Teams wading into the waterImage source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC

    Three types of sonar and a specialist underwater drone, as well as specialist diving teams are all being used in the search of the river.

    The underwater drone is being used by a team from Lancashire Fire and Rescue, who are aiding in the search.

    Three types of sonar - a technique that uses sound to detect objects - have been used from a boat in the River Wensum.

    If an object is identified as requiring further investigation, a dive team will be deployed and areas prioritised, Norfolk police said.

    Water-based searches have been carried out since Friday involving the constabulary’s marine unit, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, Coastguard and NorLSAR.

    These searches have been both surface and underwater and the force is liaising with the National Crime Agency (NCA) around specialist underwater capability.

  14. Divers working with limited visibilitypublished at 14:47 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Diver with light underwaterImage source, Norfolk Constabulary

    Images have been released of divers in the water.

    Ch Supt Buckley has said in a press statement that the dive team is working with limited visibility in temperatures as low as 4C.

    “They’re swimming against the flow of the river, which is very difficult, and searching with next to zero visibility and in a systematic manner.

    "It’s very time-consuming because it’s a large area to search and we must make sure we covered every feasible inch of water,” he said.

    Diver in the waterImage source, Norfolk Constabulary
  15. Thirty members of the public have come forwardpublished at 14:41 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Ch Supt Dave Buckley takes questions from the pressImage source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC

    Ch Supt Buckley confirms this is still a missing persons inquiry.

    He is asked what his message is to anyone who may have any information about where Gaynor Lord is.

    He answers by saying 30 members of the public have so far come forward and he would encourage "anyone who has seen anything, no matter how insignificant" to call in to the police "because every piece of information will help".

  16. 'Out of character'published at 14:38 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Chief Superintendent Dave BuckleyImage source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC

    "Some of this behaviour is out of character" Ch Supt Buckley says.

    "We're working really closely with the family, with friends, with anyone else who may have had contact with her in recent days and weeks to try and understand why this may have happened.

    "We're supporting the friends and family. People are very shocked. No one knows why she has done what she has done and we'll have to work to see if we can find out", he adds.

  17. Parallels to Nicola Bulleypublished at 14:36 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Ch Supt Buckley is now asked about parallels to Nicola Bulley's disappearance earlier this year and if any lessons from that case have been learned.

    "We'll always learn from jobs that have happened before", he replies, saying they have "reached out" to Lancashire Police to find out what they can learn and they will apply that.

  18. 'Nobody saw her go into the river'published at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Ch Supt Buckley is asked about the CCTV footage of Gaynor Lord leaving work looking like she's smiling, before appearing to be "in a bit of a hurry".

    "At the moment it's telling us she left work and made her way over to the river", he says. "Nobody saw her go into the river but we know she ended up in the park.

    "At the moment, there is nothing else the CCTV is showing us about who she may have spoken to, or any interaction she may have had. It is literally the journey you have seen so far that we have put out."

    He says the CCTV released has not yielded any lines that the police are following.

  19. Police release new CCTV footagepublished at 14:32 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023
    Breaking

    While we continue to bring you lines from Ch Supt Dave Buckley, we can also mention that officers have also released CCTV footage of 55-year-old Gaynor walking along St Augustines Street.

    Police describe this as the last sighting of her on CCTV before she went missing.

    Gaynor Lord on CCTVImage source, Norfolk Police
  20. 'Missing nothing'published at 14:25 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2023

    Ch Supt Buckley is asked why the police are searching scrubland across the road from Wensum Park.

    "We're just being really, really thorough. Each day we look at what we have undertaken and there are certain areas we would re-search again.

    "We just want to be absolutely sure that we are missing nothing", he says.