Gaynor Lord: Body confirmed as missing Norwich mother

Store cameras showed Gaynor Lord at work in Jarrolds department store shortly before she left

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

Ms Lord, 55, disappeared after leaving work in Norwich early on 8 December. Her belongings were later discovered in a city park.

Specialist divers retrieved her body from 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.

Detectives said they would continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Specialist divers had been searching the river for three days

Ms Lord was reported missing after failing to return home from Jarrolds department store, where she worked on a gin counter as a retail assistant.

CCTV footage showed her leaving work more than an hour earlier than expected before hurrying through the city on foot.

Later that day her belongings, including clothing, jewellery and a mobile phone, were found scattered across Wensum Park.

Police launched a major search operation and were assisted by specialist teams from across England.

Detectives said there was a "high probability" she had entered the water.

Flowers were laid outside Wensum Park after Ms Lord's body was discovered on Friday

On Monday, Jarrolds department store issued a statement on social media which said: "Our thoughts are with the family of Gaynor Lord at this extremely difficult time.

"As someone who worked within the store she will be missed by all and we would like to pass on our collective condolences."

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