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'

Gaynor Lord may have met a mystery person at Norwich Cathedral just hours before she disappeared, it has been reported, as desperate police try to investigate what happened to the missing mother in a crucial 34-minute period.

Mrs Lord left her work at a department store in Norwich at 2.45pm on Friday walking around the city centre before entering the cathedral area. She was then not seen until 3.22pm after being spotted leaving the church quarter. 

The final sighting of her on CCTV was then captured at 4.01pm but she never returned home.

Police have said that while they have no information to suggest a third-party is involved in her disappearance, they are probing the time between the mother-of-three entering and leaving the cathedral area, the Sun reported. 

Detectives reportedly believe she may have met someone at the church who could hold crucial information accounting for the shop worker's missing movements after officers admitted they cannot access her phone for 

Mrs Lord's disappearance has sparked a huge search with police divers drafted in and drones deployed after her olive-coloured coat was found in the river at Wensum Park shortly after 8pm. Her work shirt, a yellow tank top, two rings, glasses and mobile phone were also discovered nearby. 

The distraught family of Mrs Lord, who has three children, have desperately pleaded with the public to contact the police if they know anything that could help return her safely, with the woman's concerned half-brother adding that 'it is out of character and we just want her home'.

The harrowing case has similarities to that of Ms Bulley, who sparked a high-profile search earlier this year when she dropped off her two daughters at school in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire. Tragically, her body was found in the River Wyre on February 19, about a mile from where she vanished while walking her dog on January 27. 

Ms Bulley's phone and the dog's harness were discovered nearby. An inquest later concluded she had drowned.

Earlier today, officers probing Mrs Lord's disappearance said they were 'linking in' with detectives who worked on Ms Bulley's case, vowing to leave 'no stone unturned' to find the 55-year-old. 

Police working to find Mrs Lord have said the 'most likely scenario' is that she entered the water. 

Norwich Policing Commander Superintendent Wes Hornigold told The Sun tonight: 'In the CCTV Gaynor is seen smiling and walking with purpose which does not suggest an unusual mindset.

'The cathedral is currently a focus for us, there's lots of work we are doing there to establish what happened in the gap in CCTV. We are working with people in the cathedral to try and understand what happened.'

When asked about the similarities between the disappearance of Mrs Lord to Ms Bulley, the police chief said the force 'have been, linking in with Lancashire Constabulary to understand any of the lessons learned' from Ms Bulley's inquiry.

He told LBC: 'We've already had meetings with the National Crime Agency in terms of understanding any specific skills and knowledge in respect to water searching

'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.'

It comes as Mrs Lord's half-brother Allan Weston, 43, who lives in Blackpool, Lancashire, said: 'We are all very worried. It is out of character and we just want her home.' 

Mrs Lord's husband Clive, 63, a financial adviser, has not commented on the case but a family member of the missing woman criticised internet ghouls for speculating about what may have happened to her.

One outlandish theory being spread on social media sites such as TikTok is that a serial killer is on the loose, with conspiracy theorists claiming the murderer attacked Nicola Bulley before striking in Norwich. 

Other conspiracies put forward by the armchair detectives  include police 'covering up the truth' and a rapist attacking the mother-of-three. 

One of Mrs Lord's loved ones, who asked not to be named, told the Mail: 'There's been lots of things being said, like ''Has she run away with anybody?'' and things like that. It's not very helpful. It's hard enough as it is.'

When Ms Bulley went missing in January similar conspiracy theories began spreading on social media leading her family to criticse the 'wildly inaccurate speculation' online over her death despite the inquest finding no evidence of third-party involvement.

Earlier today Norwich Police released images and footage that show the missing mother smiling as she left her place of work, before she was spotted on camera running down a street in the city centre with her coat in hand.

MailOnline has contacted the force over reports she could have met a mystery person before disappearing.  

Specialist deep water police divers from neighbouring Lincolnshire constabulary were pictured searching the water in Wensum Park this afternoon. The teams were equipped with enhanced sonar equipment to search the water. 

Supt Hornigold, said earlier as the footage showing Mrs Lord clutching her coat as she jogged down the street: '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 so we're keen to hear from anyone who may have seen her there.

'We are continuing our extensive searches but would appeal to the public to come forward with any information which may help to find Gaynor.

'In the footage you can clearly see what she was wearing when she went missing.

'This is a particularly stressful time for her family and specialist officers continue to provide support.'

It comes after a witness said she saw a woman matching Ms Lord's description in Wensum Park - where her clothes were later found - at around 4pm.

Rosie Richards, who lives locally, said: 'It's really upsetting... I'm just thinking of her friends and family, because she is a sort of similar age to my mum and that would be awful to be going through what they are going through right now.'

Yesterday, Ms Lord's daughters both reposted several versions of Norfolk Police appeals for information about their mother's disappearance on Facebook.

Alexandra Lord, 22, wrote above one of them: 'Please share, if anyone knows anything please do contact the police! We want her home!'

Next to another message she wrote: 'Anything you may know small or large please contact the police!' Elder sister Charlotte, 24, a fashion entrepreneur, also reposted the police appeals on Facebook.

Wensum Park has been closed to the public since Saturday while specialist teams search on land and in the water.

The huge police search operation in the centre of Norwich involves 10 vehicles, a police drone and two search and rescue RIBS along the River Wensum.

She was last seen heading towards the Anglican Cathedral in the centre of Norwich on Friday before she disappeared.

Later the same day a member of the public discovered her belongings in the city's Wensum Park, around a mile away from work. She was reported missing after failing to return home.

Norwich Constabulary declared her missing after they identified the items and learned she'd failed to return home from work that evening.

A police spokeswoman added: 'We won't be drawn on her state of mind. We are still trying to establish the facts. But it was completely out of character.'

Norwich policing commander Superintendent Wes Hornigold said: 'Gaynor left work early and didn't take her normal route home. We haven't been able to establish why she left early and her disappearance is out of character, so we are naturally concerned for her welfare.

'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 she has entered the water.'

Police are trawling through CCTV to try and trace Ms Lord's movements during a five-hour window before she was officially declared missing by police late on Friday evening.

Mr Hornigold, who said the force was seeking assistance from other constabularies with diving expertise, added: 'This is clearly a distressing time for her family. We have specialist officers supporting them and continue to keep them updated on our ongoing work.'

Gaynor married financial advisor Clive Lord, 63, in 2014, and the pair were formerly co-directors of a company called Lord's Wealth Management Ltd which was closed down in 2021. Mr Lord declined to comment. The couple have lived at several different addresses in Norwich over the past two decades.

Their current home, which they bought in 2005, is in a street where larger properties sell for £500,000.

Police revealed that she'd left her work as a retail assistant for spirits distiller Bullard Gin, based at the city's Jarrolds department store, at 2.45pm, before her shift was due to end at 4pm.

Police divers, assisted by fire crews and the coastguard, scoured the nearby River Wensum yesterday using sonar equipment and said they have to be 'open to the possibility that Gaynor has entered the water'.

Officers have also used drones and foot searches to look for further clues and said they do not suspect third party involvement.

A spokesperson for the force said the park would remain closed as they hunt for further information about Gaynor's whereabouts.

Superintendent Wes Hornigold earlier said: 'We're doing everything we can to find Gaynor and based on what we've found in the park, this remains our focus for the searches.

'Clearly, given the nearby waterways, we do have to be open to the possibility that Gaynor has entered the water and we've carried out extensive searches on the river this weekend.

'Naturally, our focus will now start to move to underwater searches and we're seeking help from specialist teams to help with this complex task.

'Our priority is to find Gaynor and the park will remain closed while these searches continue. We'd ask the local community to bear with us while this takes place.

'This is clearly a distressing time for her family and we continue to keep them updated of ongoing work in this case.'

Ms Lord, who has blonde shoulder-length hair in a bob, is described as white and 5ft 6 inches.

Wensum Park was opened in 1925 and has a children's paddling pool, a playground and a pavilion.

A labyrinth was installed in the centre as part of the city's millennium celebrations.

Anyone with information or who knows of her whereabouts should contact Norfolk Police on 101 quoting incident number 427 of December 8, 2023.