Hundreds search forest for missing Sian O'Callaghan

Hundreds of volunteers have joined police to search a forest in Wiltshire for a woman who vanished after leaving a nightclub in Swindon.

Sian O'Callaghan, 22, was last seen leaving Suju alone at about 0250 GMT on Saturday to walk half a mile home.

About 400 people took part in the search of Savernake Forest near Marlborough which is due to resume at 1030 GMT on Wednesday.

A £20,000 reward to help find her has been offered by an anonymous donor.

Mobile records put her phone in the area of the 4,500-acre forest 32 minutes after she left the club.

Police appealed for Miss O'Callaghan to contact either them or her family

Police say the journey could only have been made by car.

Miss O'Callaghan's friends and her boyfriend Kevin Reape joined the search along with local people, many of whom did not know the missing woman, following a police appeal for help.

Volunteers searching the dense woodland were divided into groups which were then assigned to a specialist police officer.

Mikey Jack, 19, who plays Sunday league football with Mr Reape, said: "A lot of people here don't really know Kevin or Sian but they just want to help any way they can."

Another volunteer, college student Tizanne Gregory, 17, added: "I came here today in the hope of finding Sian.

"I'm just hoping we can do anything to help her parents and it is horrible not knowing where she is."

'Vital information'

A police spokesman said Miss O'Callaghan had an LG E900 Optimus mobile phone and asked for anyone who finds one to contact the force.

CCTV footage of Miss O'Callaghan alone in the nightclub has been released in the hope that it will jog revellers' memories.

The black and white footage shows her walking downstairs and outside through the club's entrance, past a small group of men.

A police spokesman said the times shown on the CCTV were about six minutes slow.

He urged anyone who remembered seeing Miss O'Callaghan to contact the force.

Her disappearance has been described as totally out of character.

More than 60 police officers are working on the investigation which is being treated as a missing person inquiry.

Det Supt Steve Fulcher said: "Sian left Suju and walked along the High Street in Old Town and there were a number of vehicles moving through the High Street between 2.55am to 3am.

"We would like to identify the people in those vehicles as possible witnesses.

"I'd also like to hear from anyone who saw any vehicles in or near beauty spots between Swindon and Savernake between 3am and 4am.

"It is very important that people come forward as they may have vital information which will help us to find Sian."

At a news conference on Monday, her boyfriend Kevin Reape, who shared a flat with Miss O'Callaghan, appealed for information to help find her.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said Mr Reape was not being treated as a suspect in Miss O'Callaghan's disappearance.

Also present at the news conference were Miss O'Callaghan's parents Mick, 51, and Elaine, 48, brother Liam, 24, and sister Lora, 19.