Police have provided a timeline of Gaynor Lord’s last movements as they appeal to the public to help find the mother-of-three who has been missing for nearly a week.
Mrs Lord, 55, was last seen after she left work early at Jarrolds department store in Norwich city centre at 2.45pm on Friday afternoon. CCTV that has been released shows her walking towards the cathedral.
Her belongings, including the white shirt and yellow tank top she was wearing, two rings, a mobile phone and glasses, were found scattered in Wensum Park – around 1.5 miles from her workplace. Her olive-coloured coat was discovered in the River Wensum which runs through the park, which lies to the north of the city centre.
Norfolk Constabulary believes “it is likely” Mrs Lord may have entered the water and underwater search teams have scoured the river – with officers “linking in” with the force which worked on the Nicola Bulley case to learn lessons from that investigation.
Lancashire police have told Sky News they are not aware that they are giving formal assistance.
Norfolk Constabulary has given the following timeline of her last movements
2.44pm: Mrs Lord, who is described as white, 5ft 6in tall, and has a blonde shoulder-length bob, is working at the Bullards Gin counter in the basement at Jarrolds department store – she is clearly visible in a CCTV image
2.45 – 2.46pm: She leaves via the loading bay on Bedford Street
2.47pm: Mrs Lord walks onto London Street past the Cosy Club
2.48pm: She makes her way to Queens Street, without waiting for a red light and narrowly misses moving traffic before walking towards the cathedral
3.22pm: CCTV shows her in The Close at the cathedral entrance – shortly before exiting through the archway, as she puts on her olive-coloured coat
3.23pm: Mrs Lord walks away from the cathedral on Queens Street. CCTV shows a clear image of the coat she was wearing
3.49pm: CCTV captures her walking along St George’s Street near to the Playhouse theatre
3.53pm: Walks along St Crispins Road towards Pitt Street
4.01pm: Mrs Lord walks up St Augustines Street – her final movements captured on CCTV before she went missing
Police were alerted that Mrs Lord, who is married, had gone missing on Friday after her possessions were found in Wensum Park just after 8pm. They were identified by ID found in her handbag at the scene.
An eyewitness has told ITV’s Good Morning Britain she saw Mrs Lord “sort of performing a yoga pose” in the park and that something “seemed a bit off” because it was “starting to get dark”.
Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen Mrs Lord or has dashcam or doorbell footage of her before she was last seen.
Wensum Park has been closed off to the public since Saturday and specialist teams continue to carry out extensive searches of the land and water.
Mrs Lord’s friends have told the Norwich Evening News that she often walks her dog in the area where she went missing.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses have said police teams are searching wasteland opposite Wensum Park for the first time in their investigation.
Police have also been searching the New Mills Yard pump house on the river today as they attempt to trace Mrs Lord, according to local media.
Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich, has posted on X: “Prayers offered here for the safety of missing Norwich woman Gaynor Lord, for her family and friends, and the emergency services who are searching for her. If you saw her in the Cathedral Close, or have any information, please contact Norfolk Police.”
