Police are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 21-year-old woman who went missing in freezing temperatures from a seaside town in Norfolk on Boxing Day.
Family and friends are carrying out searches, alongside police efforts, to find Sophie Smith, who was described as white, 5ft 8in and slim with shoulder-length blond hair.
Norfolk police said she went missing from her home in Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth, at 3am. Officers said they believe she was wearing a dark vest top and light shorts.
Lynn Shaw said her daughter meant the world to her. She implored Smith to “come home, please just walk through the door”, writing on Facebook: “Why didn’t I protect you?”
In a later post, Shaw said she had been “overwhelmed by the Facebook campaign” and thanked people for their “messages of help, love and support”.
The disappearance of the University of East Anglia biomedicine student was said to be “very out of character”.
According to a Facebook group dedicated to finding her, which is supported by her relatives, Smith “walked out completely unprepared for weather conditions”.
A search party planned to head to the Beacon Park industrial estate and Beacon Wood on Thursday afternoon, and more volunteers were being asked to help out. Other people reported having carried out searches at places Smith was known to go.
Insp Will Drummond, who is leading the effort, said on Wednesday: “We have diligently searched for Sophie and have investigated a range of scenarios but unfortunately there have been no confirmed sightings or contact since she left her property at 3am. We have a possible CCTV image of Sophie heading towards the seafront but, despite all our efforts, we have found no further trace of her.”
He said his officers had spoken to friends and family, conducted house-to-house searches and checked Smith’s social media accounts. Drummond said they had also liaised with local hospitals and appealed to the public to “check their sheds and outbuildings in case Sophie has got disorientated and slept in the nearest place of shelter”.
Drummondsaid Smith had seemed withdrawn before her disappearance, which he did not believe to be suspicious.“I know that Sophie has been going through a rough time prior to going missing,” he said.
He said this was the first time Smith had gone missing, which was adding to concerns. He said Smith was not carrying a mobile phone or appropriately dressed for the cold weather.
