By Luke Salkeld
Last updated at 8:11 AM on 22nd December 2010
Miss Yeates: Disappearance was 'out of character', according to her family and the police
The anxious parents of a young architect who mysteriously vanished five days ago have made a desperate appeal for help.
Joanna Yeates, 25, was last seen leaving a pub early on Friday evening after a Christmas drink with colleagues.
She arrived home after picking up some shopping at a supermarket but has not been seen or heard from since.
Miss Yates, known as Jo, was reported missing by her boyfriend, Greg Reardon, when he returned to the flat they shared in Clifton, Bristol, on Sunday night.
She has not taken any possessions with her and her family say her disappearance is totally out of character.
Yesterday her parents David, 63, and Teresa, 58, wept as they issued a public appeal for her safe return. Their son Chris and a distraught Mr Reardon sat with them.
Mr Yeates said: ‘Jo is a vibrant young woman and this is completely out of character for her. We need your help to find her.’
Clutching his wife’s hand, he then made an emotional plea directly to his daughter, saying: ‘Jo, whatever the reason that you have not been in touch over the last few days we want you to know that we love you dearly.’
‘Please get in touch as soon as possible. Either to the police or anyone who can confirm you are OK.’
Miss Yeates, who is 5ft 4in, slim with blond hair and blue eyes, was wearing dark grey skinny jeans and a pale top when she went for drinks with a group of work friends at The Ram pub in Park Street, Bristol.
She left there alone at 8pm and popped into a Tesco Express on Regent Street in Clifton, which is less than half a mile from her home.
Officers searching her flat for clues to her disappearance found the receipt from Tesco, which was issued at 8.40pm. Her keys, purse and bank cards were also discovered at her flat.
Anxious: David and Theresa Yeates speak at a press conference to appeal for information about their daughter Joanna
Mr Reardon, who is also an architect, raised the alarm when he returned to the flat late on Sunday night after visiting family in Sheffield over the weekend. He had taken the car that they shared to Sheffield.
A police source confirmed that Mr Reardon had been in Sheffield over the weekend, but the pair were not in contact from Friday evening onwards.
Detective Superintendent Mark Saunders, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: ‘This is completely out of character for Jo. We are concerned for her welfare and we now need help from the public.
'We have gone through every normal scenario as to where she could be but nothing has turned up so far.
Tears: Joanna's boyfriend Greg Reardon cries while speaking at a press conference to appeal for information about his missing partner
‘This is not something she has ever done before. She is a vivacious, sensible, professional woman.’
He added that Miss Yeates had been suffering from headaches in the week before her disappearance, but had not checked into any hospital for treatment.
She did not have any plans for the weekend and she and failed to show up at the Bristol architect’s firm where she works on Monday morning, which was ‘very out of character’ for her, according to police.
Mr Saunders added: ‘This is very unusual. There is no obvious explanation as to why she has disappeared like this.’
He added that officers had found CCTV footage of Miss Yeates leaving The Ram pub at 8pm on Friday night and were looking for any other leads.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 0845 456 7000 quoting Operation Braid or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
No comments:
Post a Comment