A body has been recovered from the River Wensum in Norwich during the search for missing 55-year-old Gaynor Lord, Norfolk Police have confirmed. The discovery was made by underwater search teams on Friday, nearly a week after Lord was last seen leaving her workplace.
Although formal identification has not yet taken place, Lord's family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. The body was found about 100 metres downstream from where the search had been focused the previous day, marked by an orange buoy.
Lord, a retail assistant at the Bullards gin counter in Jarrolds department store, left work early via a loading bay at 2.45pm last Friday, more than an hour before her shift was due to end. She was reported missing after failing to return home that evening. CCTV footage showed her hurrying through the city centre, visiting the cathedral grounds, and heading towards Wensum Park.
A member of the public discovered Lord's belongings—including clothing, a mobile phone, glasses, and jewellery—scattered in Wensum Park that evening. Her olive-coloured coat was found in the river. Police have stated there is no evidence of third-party involvement and a high probability that Lord entered the water.
Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley said inquiries remain ongoing to understand the circumstances of her disappearance, describing her behaviour as 'out of character'. A postmortem examination will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
