Gaynor Lord: What we know about missing Norwich mum

A body found in a river has been formally identified as that of missing mother-of-three, Gaynor Lord.

CCTV footage had shown the 55-year-old hurrying through the streets of Norwich just hours before her belongings were found dumped in a park on 8 December.

It showed her leaving work early but not taking her usual route home.

After Ms Lord's body was found in the River Wensum on Friday, Norfolk Police said post-mortem tests found no evidence of third-party involvement and early indications of death were "consistent with drowning".

Ms Lord's death was not being treated as suspicious and no formal cause of death would be recorded until the Home Office pathologist received toxicology results, the force added.

Specialist divers had been searching the river for three days

Where was she last seen in CCTV footage?

On 8 December, Ms Lord was due to finish work at Jarrolds department store in Norwich city centre, where she was employed as a retail assistant for Bullards Gin, at 16:00 GMT.

Store cameras show Gaynor Lord at work shortly before she left

However, the city's CCTV system shows her leaving the store via a loading bay on Bedford Street at about 14:45, before rushing along London Street, carrying her coat and handbag.

At one point, she hurriedly crosses a road and is nearly struck by a car.

She is then seen walking along St Crispins Road towards Pitt Street before heading up St Augustines Street at 16:01.

And that is where the released footage ends.

On Thursday, police released a fresh CCTV image showing Gaynor Lord on St Augustines Street on the day she went missing

Her friend, Julie Butcher, said Ms Lord phoned her at about 14:15 on the day she disappeared.

She told the BBC on Thursday that she "feels terrible" after cutting the conversation short to take a work call and was unable to reach her after that.

Ms Butcher, who spoke to officers on 9 December, also received a "pocket call" from Ms Lord at about 16:45 the day of her disappearance.

"I keep going over the conversation. If I hadn't answered that call [from the client] would she have talked to me? I feel terrible. I feel so sorry for the family," she said.

• Body found in search for missing Gaynor Lord

• CCTV shows last-known movements of missing woman

• Missing woman's friend 'feels terrible' over call

Rosie Richards, who lives nearby, said she saw a woman matching Ms Lord's description in Wensum Park at about 16:00 on Friday doing a "yoga pose".

"It's really upsetting... I'm just thinking of her friends and family, because she is a sort of similar age to my mum and that would be awful to be going through what they are going through right now," she said.

What was found in the Wensum Park search?

Wensum Park is about a mile (1.6 km) north of Norwich city centre

A member of the public found a number of Ms Lord's possessions at about 20:00 on 8 December.

They included her mobile phone, glasses and jewellery. Her olive-coloured coat was later discovered in the water.

Officers were able to identify Ms Lord's belongings via an ID badge found in her handbag.

On Wednesday, specialist divers from Lincolnshire Police joined the effort to scour the river for clues.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service and the Coastguard also helped with the search for Ms Lord.

What was Lancashire Police's involvement?

Nicola Bulley was last seen during a riverside walk on 27 January

During the search for Ms Lord, Norwich's policing commander Supt Wes Hornigold said detectives were "linking in" with Lancashire Constabulary to try and understand "any of the lessons learned" from Nicola Bulley's disappearance.

Ms Bulley, 45, disappeared in January after dropping her two daughters off at school in the Lancashire village of St Michael's on Wyre.

Her mobile phone was found on a riverbank and her body was discovered in the river three weeks later.

Last month, the College of Policing published a report which criticised the media strategy during the search for Ms Bulley.

How is Gaynor Lord's family being supported?

Gaynor Lord is married and has three children who recently posted a message on social media saying they just want her to come home

Police say Ms Lord's family is being supported by specialist officers during what is a "particularly stressful" time for them.

Her children had previously posted on social media saying "we want her home".

Norfolk Constabulary said it was continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ms Lord's disappearance.

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