Missing Manchester woman Isabella Skelton images released

Isabella Skelton was last seen alive in 1969

Images of what a missing woman could look like more than 50 years since she was last seen have been released by Greater Manchester Police.

Isabella Skelton, nee McDowall - also known as Izzy - went missing in June 1969 aged 35 from her home on Lidiard Street in Crumpsall, Manchester.

Police believe Mrs Skelton, who would be aged 86, could still be alive.

"We owe it to Isabella's family not to stop looking for her," said Det Insp Claire Moss.

Mrs Skelton's family grew up under the belief that she had left Manchester to work away for a period but they never saw her again.

There is no record of her after she left Manchester and no record of her death, police said. She remains classed as a missing person.

'Long timeframe'

When asked why detectives were appealing for information now, a GMP spokeswoman said all other lines of enquiry had been completed and they were in a position to give further details than previously provided when her family released their own press release at Christmas.

Det Insp Moss added: "We appreciate that we are talking about a long timeframe, with little information to go on, but we hope that someone may recognise the image we have released."

Glasgow-born Mrs Skelton married in July 1952 and is the mother of three children. She moved to Manchester in the early 1960s, first living in Salford and then in Crumpsall.

When in Manchester, she worked at Atlas Express in Blackfriars, Salford. She is also believed to have worked at Gallagher Cigarettes and Ball Bearings Services, the latter at the time of her disappearance, police said.