Georgina Gharsallah: Body 'could be in building site'

Georgina Gharsallah disappeared without trace on 7 March, her family say

The family of a woman who has been missing for a year has called for a town centre redevelopment to be halted so the site can be searched.

Georgina Gharsallah, 31, was last seen in Worthing on 7 March 2018.

Her mother Andrea Gharsallah has called for a search of the Teville Gate site after earlier reports her daughter had been seen there with two "angry" men.

Sussex Police said there was insufficient information to justify a search of the building site.

Georgina has been described as "streetwise, but quite naive" by her mother and sister

Ms Gharsallah said: "We have two sightings on Broadwater Bridge of her seen with two angry guys.

"At the same time the Teville Gate was being demolished and we've had so many people saying it's such a coincidence."

A multi-storey car park was pulled down ahead of plans to build a hotel and flats on the site.

Ms Gharsallah is calling on Worthing Borough Council to stop all further development to allow a full search to be carried out by specialist officers.

Ch Insp Miles Ockwell said: "Teville Gate was considered as a potential area earlier on in the investigation in reaction to information but we don't feel we have enough information to justify a thorough search of the site at this stage."

Georgina would text her mother at all hours of the day and night, Andrea Gharsallah said

Ms Gharsallah is described as 5ft 2in (1.57m) tall, with shoulder-length dark hair, often worn in a top knot. She has a piercing above her left lip.

"Georgina has Arabian features and speaks Arabic among friends," a Sussex Police spokeswoman added.

She was caught on CCTV in a phone shop, where she was seen with "a number of mobile phones", Sussex Police said.

Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder after Ms Gharsallah went missing but were later released with no further action.

The family is to hold a candle-lit vigil in Worthing later and an appeal will be broadcast on the BBC's Crimewatch Roadshow on 12 March.