Gaynor Lord eyewitness who last saw missing mother before she vanished six days ago says she was behaving unusually – ‘Something seemed off’
- Gaynor Lord, 55, was last seen on Friday after she left work early in Norwich
- Witness Rosie Richards saw woman matching her description in Wensum Park
A witness who allegedly saw missing Gaynor Lord shortly before she vanished has revealed she saw her put her coat on the ground of a park and perform a yoga pose.
Rosie Richards said she saw a woman fitting Mrs Lord’s description at Wensum Park in Norwich last Friday afternoon and described her as appearing ‘quite calm’.
But the witness, who lives nearby, claimed something ‘just seemed a bit off’ because it was getting dark at the time around 4pm. Mrs Lord’s personal effects were later found at the park and her coat was in the River Wensum, which runs through it.
Ms Richards told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘To me she seemed quite calm. She was sort of putting her coat down on the floor and sort of performing a yoga pose. It just seemed a bit off at this time because obviously it was starting to get dark.’
She added: ‘It’s really upsetting. I’m thinking of her friends and family because she is a similar age to my mum and that would be awful to be going through what they are going through now.’
Gaynor Lord was last seen on Friday afternoon as she left work early from Norwich city centre
Rosie Richards said she saw a woman fitting Mrs Lord’s description at Wensum Park in Norwich
Another witness saw a woman who could have been twice-married Mrs Lord in the park at around 4pm. They said she ‘removed her coat and performed a yoga pose’.
READ MORE Missing Gaynor Lord’s family slam internet ghouls for speculating on the 55-year-old’s disappearance as police release CCTV of her smiling as she leaves work
It comes as the mystery of mother-of-three Mrs Lord, 55, deepened after newly released CCTV footage showed her smiling at work – moments before she was seen running through nearby streets.
Mrs Lord left a department store in Norwich on Friday afternoon but never made it home.
Her coat was found in the river running through the park a mile away five hours later, while other belongings – including two rings, her mobile and clothing – were strewn on the ground nearby.
The discovery sparked a huge police search on land and water.
Norfolk Police issued CCTV footage yesterday which showed her smiling and clutching her brown handbag at the concession she worked in at Jarrolds department store. She was wearing a yellow tank top over a white shirt.
She left at 2.45pm – 75 minutes before the end of her shift – and was seen running along a street with her olive-coloured coat over her left arm moments later.
FRIDAY 2.47pm – Gaynor Lord is seen in Norwich walking along London Street past Cosy Club
FRIDAY 2.48pm – Gaynor Lord makes her way onto Queens Street before crossing into Tombland and walking towards Norwich Cathedral
FRIDAY 3.22pm – Gaynor Lord is seen leaving the Cathedral grounds about 30 minutes later. At 3.49pm she is spotted on CCTV near the Playhouse on St George’s Street before walking along St Crispins Road towards Pitt Street. At 4.01pm she walks up St Augustines Street
Mrs Lord then dashed through moving traffic on a main road in the direction of the city’s Anglican cathedral. She left the grounds 30 minutes later, again appearing to be in a hurry, putting her coat on as she marched away.
READ MORE Missing mother Gaynor Lord, 55, ‘may have met mystery person at cathedral before vanishing’ as police ‘investigate lost 34 minutes’ and her worried family plead: ‘We just want her home’
The last sighting of her on camera was at 4.01pm.
Superintendent Wes Hornigold said: ‘We hope this will help to jog the memory of anyone who may have seen her in the city that afternoon or who may have footage of her journey.
‘We are particularly keen on hearing from anyone who may have seen Gaynor in the cathedral grounds, which she enters at 2.50pm and leaves at 3.23pm. It’s not clear where she goes inside the cathedral grounds during this time.’
He added: ‘This is a particularly stressful time for her family and specialist officers continue to provide support.’
Mrs Lord’s personal effects were found at Wensum Park, a mile from the department store. Her coat was in the river Wensum.
Mrs Lord’s husband Clive, 63, a financial adviser, has not commented on the case.
Her half-brother Allan Weston, 43, who lives in Blackpool, said: ‘We are all very worried. It is out of character and we just want her home.’
Police crews are seen searching the River Wensum at Wensum Park in Norwich yesterday
Officers at the scene of the search at Wensum Park in Norwich after Mrs Lord went missing
Police divers search the river yesterday and use sonar at Wensum Park in Norwich
A police drone at Wensum Park searching for Gaynor Lord earlier this week
Police say the ‘most likely scenario’ is that Mrs Lord ended up in the river. Specialist divers were brought in from Lincolnshire Police yesterday, along with advanced sonar equipment.
READ MORE Police release CCTV of missing mother Gaynor Lord smiling as she left work at department store before running through city centre – as specialist divers join search five days after she vanished
Norfolk Police’s own marine unit, Norfolk Fire and Rescue and the Coastguard were already involved in the search.
Officers are examining Mrs Lord’s phone to see if it holds clues to her state of mind. They want to know why she left work early and why she took a route which was not her normal one home.
Mr Hornigold – who has said there is no evidence of anyone else being involved – said: ‘There’s no evidence that Gaynor has come to harm and, while we have a number of enquiries ongoing, given where her clothing was found and other items, there is a real possibility that she has entered the water.’
He said that his officers are ‘linking in’ with detectives from Lancashire Constabulary who led to the search for missing mother Nicola Bulley.
Ms Bulley disappeared after dropping her two daughters at school in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on January 27.
Her body was found in the River Wyre on February 19, about a mile from where she vanished while walking her dog.
The Lancashire force was criticised over its handling of the investigation and the disclosure of Ms Bulley’s personal information.
n inquest concluded Ms Bulley’s death was accidental, that she fell into the river on the day she disappeared and died almost immediately in the cold water.
Mr Hornigold told LBC: ‘We will absolutely – and have done – be linking in with Lancashire Constabulary to understand any of the lessons learned from that inquiry.
‘We’ve already had meetings with the National Crime Agency in terms of understanding any specific skills and knowledge in respect to water searching.’
He added: ‘We’re cognisant of the recent College of Policing report into the Lancashire inquiry, so we’re leaving no stone unturned and making sure we’re doing everything within our power to find Gaynor as quickly as possible.’
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