Gaynor Lord missing LIVE: Police find body in river in hunt for Norwich mother who vanished as her family are informed

A body has been found in the River Wensum in the search for missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord, Norfolk Police has said.

The force said the body was found in the river by underwater search teams this morning and has now been recovered from the water.

Police said that while the body has not formally been identified, Ms Lord's family have been informed.

They continue to be supported by specially trained officers.

A former colleague of mother-of-three Gaynor Lord has said he was 'shocked' by the news that she went missing.

Declan Snowling, who said that he worked with Ms Lord, 55, in the Jarrolds restaurant several years ago, told the EDP that she was 'such a pleasant lady to be around'.

Speaking to the local newspaper before the news broke that a body had been found, he said that he had 'no idea' why she went missing and was as confused as everyone else about the situation.

Mr Snowling said that when they worked together she was 'well-liked, assured and... had everything put together'.

He said he was 'sorry this has happened Christmas' and added that his thoughts and prayers were with Ms Lord's family and loved ones.

Two specialist divers assisting with the search for Gaynor Lord have pulled a large object in a black bag from the River Wensum.

The divers removed the object from the water next to the orange buoy which had been positioned in the river earlier today.

A police dive team has narrowed their search for mother-of-three Gaynor Lord in the River Wensum in Norwich, marking a spot with an orange buoy.

An Environment Agency search boat was stationed next to the buoy on Friday morning as a dive team truck arrived at the area just after 11am.

Two members of the dive team could be seen surveying the area, appearing to check if the water was safe to enter.

The buoy was positioned around 100 metres downstream from where the main focus of Thursday's search for Ms Lord had taken place.

Police divers with flippers could be seen ready to enter the water in a park area further along the river but after a phone call was received, their kit was packed up and personnel got back in their truck and rediverted.

A friend of missing mother Gaynor Lord said she was 'upbeat and happy' and talking about Christmas just days before she disappeared.

Julie Butcher said her friend seemed 'fine' when they last met on Tuesday last week.

'We were talking. She was a bit busy but we were talking about Christmas and she seemed fine, no different to the usual Gaynor. She was quite upbeat and happy,' Ms Butcher told the BBC.

Ms Butcher told the broadcaster she spoke to her friend at 2.15pm on Friday last week but she had to cut the call short to speak to a client.

'I said I would call her back and she said 'yes',' Ms Butcher said.

Ms Butcher said she returned the call but could not get through. She also sent a message to tell her friend she was free.

'I think she was still at work when she called me, I don't know but maybe that's why she couldn't answer,' she said.

'I keep going over the conversation. If I hadn't answered that call would she have talked to me? I feel terrible. I feel so sorry for the family.'

Ms Butcher said she received another call from Ms Lord at 4.15pm but it 'sounded like a pocket call - I could hear movement in her pocket'.

Police teams have been pictured searching Wensum Park this morning, where Gaynor Lord's belongings, including clothing, two rings, a mobile phone and glasses, were found scattered.

Her coat was discovered in the River Wensum, which runs through the park.

Photos show officers scouring though the park grounds, trying to find anything which may help them discover Ms Lord's whereabouts.

The mother, 55, disappeared after leaving work early in Norwich city centre at 2.45pm on December 8.

Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley said officers had 'some indications' of why Ms Lord left work more than hour before she was scheduled to finish.

Her belongings were found in Wensum Park - around 1.5 miles from her workplace at Jarrolds department store - and her coat was discovered in the river that runs through the park.

Police said Ms Lord's clothing, mobile phone, glasses and jewellery, including two rings, were discovered at various locations in the park.

Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley said it will take 'a couple of days' or longer to complete the search of the stretch of river, which has included using sonar equipment.

'It's very, very challenging - the river is very, very full of water with all the rain, full of lots of debris. The divers can see about one foot in front of them,' he said.

'So it's an extraordinarily challenging environment for them to work in.'

Mr Buckley said the force was keeping an open mind about what happened to Ms Lord but 'everything we know is pointing to a high probability that Gaynor went into the water'.

Police and divers are continuing to search the River Wensum for missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord, as her family mark a week since her disappearance.

Photos from this morning show police surveying the water from a power boat near where a police tent is set up on the bank of the river in Norwich.

Officers said there is a 'high probability' that Ms Lord went into the River Wensum in Norwich, where a huge search is being conducted by specialist divers.

Police said they have not been able to establish her state of mind when she went missing with 'any degree of confidence'.

It comes as a friend of Ms Lord said she was 'upbeat and happy' and talking about Christmas just days before she disappeared.

Julie Butcher said her friend seemed 'fine' when they last met on Tuesday last week.