Holiday snaps may hold clue to Marlene mystery

Marlene Wagstaff, 77, has not been seen leaving home in the small village of Hollym, near Withernsea, on Friday, July 22, despite a large-scale land, air and sea search involving the police helicopter, mounted section, underwater search teams, the coastguard and scores of local residents.

Her family and police have issued now a fresh appeal for information amid concerns people may not realise the mother-of-three is still missing.

Mrs Wagstaff’s son David said: “My sister knows a lot of people in the Withernsea area and when she’s talking to people a lot of them think she’s been found because it’s gone quiet.

“One thing we’ve thought of is that anybody who was on holiday on July 22 or that week, if they have any holiday snaps to have a look at them because she could be in the background. It’s just trying to piece together a jigsaw.”

Mr Wagstaff said he had not given up hope that his mother may still be found alive.

He said: “As time moves on you’ve got to be realistic and it’s not looking good, but where there’s life there’s hope so you try to be positive at the same time. You have to remain hopeful.”

But Mr Wagstaff said the uncertainty was placing a great strain on the family.

“We want to finalise it,” he said. “It’s the not knowing which is the difficult part. You find it difficult to move on with your life. Not a day goes by without you thinking ‘what ifs’ and ‘what fors’.

“She has not been found and we believe a lot of people think that she has.”

Humberside Police said the inquiry remained active and officers would continue to make physical searches of the area in a bid to locate Mrs Wagstaff.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Hutchinson praised residents who had taken part in the initial searches for her, but said the public still had a role to play in helping to find her.

He said: “At the time of Mrs Wagstaff’s disappearance a large-scale search of the area surrounding her home was conducted. Specially trained officers from the police and the coastguard worked tirelessly to try and locate her.

“There was a real sense of community spirit as we saw over a hundred members of the local community join together to help locate Marlene, but sadly we have been unable to find her.

“The search for Marlene Wagstaff is continuing, and I would ask that anyone that may have any information about her whereabouts contacts the police as soon as possible.”

Mrs Wagstaff, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, is said to be very fit for her age and is a keen walker able to cover several miles.

She left the home she shared with her husband James at about 2pm on July 22 and was reported missing at 9.51pm after she failed to return.

Mrs Wagstaff, who also has a son, Stephen, and a daughter called Wendy, is about 5ft 4ins tall and has shoulder-length grey and dark hair and wears glasses.

She was last seen wearing a yellow three-quarter length mackintosh jacket and a blue flowered skirt. It is thought she was wearing a mustard-coloured cardigan under her jacket and a non-matching pair of brown shoes.

Police have previously asked dog walkers and horse riders to remain vigilant due to the rural nature of the area around her home.

Anyone with information can call Humberside Police on 0845 6060 222, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.