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New footage of missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord, who was last seen on Friday, has been released.

The 55-year-old disappeared after leaving work early in Norwich city centre – with police describing her actions as “out of character”.

The new 33-second clip shows Mrs Lord walking up St Augustines Street at 4.01pm. It was the last time she was captured on CCTV, police said.

She is seen wearing glasses and a long coat as she walks along the road – which is busy with passing traffic.

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Police release timeline of last known movements

The street is close to Wensum Park, where Mrs Lord was last seen by a passer-by, and where some of her possessions, including her mobile phone and glasses, were later found.

Other CCTV footage released earlier in the week shows her leaving her job at Jarrolds department store at 2.45pm – an hour and 15 minutes earlier than scheduled – and walking towards Norwich Cathedral.

Gaynor Lord's last known movements
Image:
Gaynor Lord’s last known movements

Yoga pose sighting

Mrs Lord was later seen leaving the cathedral’s grounds just after 3.20pm, before making her way through the city centre to St Augustines Street.

Police were alerted that Mrs Lord, who is married, had gone missing on Friday after her possessions were found in Wensum Park just after 8pm. Her ID was also found in her handbag at the scene.

The white shirt and yellow top she was wearing, along with two rings, a mobile phone and glasses, were also found scattered nearby.

Her olive-coloured coat was discovered in the River Wensum, which runs alongside the park.

An eyewitness told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that she saw a woman believed to be Mrs Lord in the park.

She described seeing the woman remove her coat and put it on the ground, before “sort of performing a yoga pose”. The witness added that something “seemed a bit off” because it was “starting to get dark”.

CCTV image of Gaynor Lord leaving work on Friday 8 December
Image:
CCTV image of Gaynor Lord leaving work on Friday 8 December

‘We can’t explain some of her behaviour’

Officers believe Mrs Lord entered the water and specialist underwater teams are involved in the search.

In a press conference at the scene on Thursday afternoon, Chief Superintendent Dave Buckley said officers had not been able to establish her state of mind on the day she went missing.

He said that “everything we know is pointing to a high probability that Gaynor went into the water”, but added: “Nobody’s seen her go into the river.”

Detectives are keeping an “open mind” about what happened, but Ch Supt Buckley described some of Mrs Lord’s actions on Friday as “out of character”.

He added: “We can’t explain some of her behaviour that day.”

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Previously released CCTV footage of Mrs Lord

The senior officer said detectives were speaking to the mother-of-three’s friends and family and “anybody who can help us that we know she’s had contact with”.

He added: “We have got hold of her mobile device, we will work our way through that systematically… and see if we can find out more accurately why we’ve ended up where we have.

“It would be really premature I think if I offered too much suggestion as to what I think has happened.”

However, the senior officer said detectives did have an idea why Mrs Lord left work early, but did not provide any details.

He told reporters: “We’ve got some indications as to why she behaved the way in which she did but what we’re doing is we’re just working backwards now to actually truly understand what may have taken place.

“We’re just cautious of everything we know at the moment”.

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The tree line footpath along the River Wensum in the city of Norwich, Norfolk
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The River Wensum

Police keen to learn lessons from Bulley case

Police are keen to hear from anyone who saw Mrs Lord between 2.50pm and 3.23pm – because it was “not clear where she goes inside the cathedral grounds during this time”.

Some 30 people have already come forward with information in relation to the disappearance.

Ch Supt Buckley also confirmed that his officers were in direct contact with Lancashire Police – who led the search for Nicola Bulley at the start of the year.

“In terms of Lancashire, we’ve reached out to them and to investigators that worked on that case,” he said.

Gaynor Lord. Pic: Norfolk Constabulary
Image:
Gaynor Lord. Pic: Norfolk Constabulary

In further cross-service collaboration, he said a specialist team from Lincolnshire was also assisting in the search.

No marks were found on the grass by the river to indicate that someone had gone in the water, Norfolk Police confirmed.

The force said specialist divers were working in an “extraordinarily challenging environment” and warned it could take “a couple of days” or longer to complete the search of the stretch of river.

Ch Supt Buckley said: “We have been speaking to the dive team on site and visibility in the River Wensum is between zero and one foot underwater with temperatures as low as 4C.

“As soon as you reach one foot in front of you, visibility goes and then there’s obviously leaves, branches, debris, and the flow of the river to contend with, which is the biggest problem because there’s been so much rainfall.”

Sonar equipment is also being used in the search, he added.

A total of 60 officers are involved in the operation to find her.

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Child sexual exploitation victims ‘not in scope’ of violence against women and girls strategy

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Child sexual exploitation victims 'not in scope' of violence against women and girls strategy

Victims of child sexual exploitation are “not explicitly within the scope” of the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy being drafted by the government, Sky News can reveal.

Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSEA) is a form of child abuse, described by police as a “critical threat” to women and girls.

It includes crimes such as grooming, and can involve both physical contact, such as rape, or non-physical – like forcing children to look at sexual images.

Sky News has been shown an internal Home Office document presented to various stakeholders in the sector.

Screenshot detailing strategy
Image:
Screenshot detailing strategy

It’s titled “Scope of the Strategy… Our draft definition of VAWG”, and says that while it recognises “links” between VAWG and child sexual exploitation, it is not “explicitly within the scope of the strategy”.

“VAWG is Violence Against Women and Girls. If you take child sexual abuse out of it, where are the girls?” Poppy Eyre told Sky News.

Poppy was sexually abused and raped by her grandfather when she was four.

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It wasn’t until she was 11, after a PHSE lesson on abuse at school, that she understood the enormity of what had happened.

“I remember very vividly when the police came round and told me… this is what we’re charging him with,” said Poppy.

“We’re charging him with sexual abuse and rape. And I remember being like, I had no idea that’s what it was, but I know that’s really bad.”

Poppy Eyre was sexually abused and raped by her grandfather when she was four
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Poppy Eyre was sexually abused and raped by her grandfather when she was four

Poppy’s grandfather was convicted and died in prison.

She questions how authorities would police crime if child sexual abuse is excluded from an umbrella strategy to tackle violence against women and girls.

“Are they holding child sexual abuse at the same level of importance as they are with violence against women? You’d hope so, but potentially not, because it doesn’t need to be in the figures”, she said.

'Are they holding child sexual abuse at the same level of importance?' asks Poppy
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‘Are they holding child sexual abuse at the same level of importance?’ asks Poppy

The government has pledged to halve VAWG within a decade, by 2035.

“If the government are measuring themselves against halving violence against women and girls – if they’re not looking at the scale of child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation within that – that will mean we are failing many young victims of abuse,” said Andrea Simon, director of campaign group End Violence Against Women.

The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, which is funded by the Home Office, estimates 500,000 children in England and Wales are sexually abused every year.

‘Danger’ of having separate plan

Rape Crisis told Sky News that “for any strategy to be effective” it “must include all forms of gender-based violence against all women and girls”, suggesting there is a “danger” in having a separate plan for child sexual abuse.

Its chief executive, Ciara Bergman, said it could create a “problematic and potentially very unhelpful” distinction between victims of domestic abuse, expected to be covered by the strategy, and child sexual abuse.

“Some perpetrators of domestic abuse also sexually abuse their children,” she told Sky News.

The government insists the strategy will include action to tackle child sexual abuse, but says it also plans to create a distinctive programme to address its specific crimes.

Poppy's mother Miranda Eyre says she's 'speechless' and 'angry' over the government's approach
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Poppy’s mother Miranda Eyre says she’s ‘speechless’ and ‘angry’ over the government’s approach

“Sexual abuse is violence against a child,” said Poppy’s mother, Miranda Eyre, who now works as a counsellor specialising in trauma.

“It is violence against girls… and you can’t separate it out,” she said. “I’m speechless to be honest… it does make me quite angry.”

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A Home Office spokesperson told Sky News it is “working tirelessly to tackle the scourges of violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse”.

“These issues are complex and run deep within the fabric of society,” they added.

“The government wholly recognises that they overlap. But it also recognises that concerted action is needed to tackle child sexual abuse which is why we have set out a range of actions… and why we are launching a national inquiry into grooming gangs.”

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British veteran, 100, recalls witnessing Japan’s Second World War surrender on USS Missouri

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British veteran, 100, recalls witnessing Japan's Second World War surrender on USS Missouri

A British veteran has spoken about how he witnessed Japan’s wartime surrender up close as a 20-year-old sailor.

Reg Draper was off Japan’s coast on the HMS Duke of York when the captain announced the war was ending.

Recalling that moment – 80 years ago today – he said cheers went up from the battleship’s crew.

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Why is it important to mark VJ Day?

Mr Draper saw the Japanese sign the agreement on USS Missouri when he went on board to help his friend, who was the ship’s photographer.

“All the ships mustered in Tokyo Bay with the USS Missouri, which was the American ship, and it was on the Missouri where they signed the peace treaty,” the 100-year-old recalled.

“Then we all came back down to Australia and we went and celebrated – we went down to Tasmania and everybody had four days leave in Hobart.

“Everybody wanted to take us to their home and there were a couple of dances in the dance hall.”

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Mr Draper still has a photo showing the peace deal being signed. Pic: Royal British Legion/PA
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Mr Draper still has a photo showing the peace deal being signed. Pic: Royal British Legion/PA

Mr Draper got a letter recognising his presence at the surrender. Pic: Royal British Legion/PA
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Mr Draper got a letter recognising his presence at the surrender. Pic: Royal British Legion/PA

Mr Draper, who grew up in Leeds, was a stores assistant on the Duke of York after volunteering on his 18th birthday.

His duties included rationing out the rum so all the sailors could get their 11am hit. He said senior crew got theirs neat while everyone else had theirs watered down.

He also recalled being clattered by Prince Philip after the Queen’s future husband, who was on a destroyer escorting his ship, came aboard.

A view looking out over the HMS Duke of York. Pic: AP
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A view looking out over the HMS Duke of York. Pic: AP

Mr Draper met Prince Philip again in the 70s - but the hockey wasn't mentioned. Pic: Royal British Legion/PA
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Mr Draper met Prince Philip again in the 70s – but the hockey wasn’t mentioned. Pic: Royal British Legion/PA

“We used to have deck hockey on the quarter deck and it was murder playing deck hockey,” said Mr Draper.

“He [Philip] knocked me over once and then the next time he came round he hit me, there’s still a mark there, he gave me a clout with his hockey stick.

“He came to see me just to see how I was. They just put a stitch in and it was alright.”

The pair met again in 1972 when Mr Draper was training sea cadets for the Duke of Edinburgh awards.

He said Philip noticed his medals and recalled escorting the ship – but didn’t mention the hockey game.

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Hiroshima survivor describes moment of blast

Mr Draper’s time on the Duke of York included Arctic convoys to deliver supplies to Russia and sailing to Sydney, Australia, in 1945 before joining the East Indies Fleet.

“We started going up to the islands, kicking the Japanese out of the islands as we went,” he recalled.

Japan surrendered after the US dropped two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on 6 and 9 August.

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Mr Draper now lives in Elton in Cheshire. Pic: PA
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Mr Draper now lives in Elton in Cheshire. Pic: PA

Mr Draper turned 21 on the trip back to Europe and said 2,000 people were on board as they had picked up prisoners of war.

He went on to become an insurance salesman and said he’s planning to watch today’s 80th anniversary commemorations from his home in Elton, Cheshire.

The King released an audio message in which he said the sacrifices of VJ Day veterans should “never be forgotten”.

He described how the heroic actions of those sent to fight in the Far East, as well as the brutal treatment of civilians, “reminds us that war’s true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life”.

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King to warn that sacrifices of VJ Day veterans should ‘never be forgotten’

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King to warn that sacrifices of VJ Day veterans should 'never be forgotten'

The King will issue a warning that the sacrifices of the VJ Day veterans should “never be forgotten” as they “gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected”.

In an audio message, due to be released on Friday morning to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War in the Far East, King Charles will describe how the heroic actions of those sent to fight there and the brutal treatment of civilians “reminds us that war’s true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life”.

In what could be interpreted as him alluding to current world events and conflicts, he will emphasise the importance of international collaboration, saying that victory in 1945 demonstrated that “in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear but the arms you link”.

Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

The six-minute audio message to the Nation, Realms and Commonwealth to mark VJ Day, echoes the audio broadcast made by his grandfather, King George VI, which the King will reference.

He recorded it in the Morning Room at Clarence House earlier this month.

Victory over Japan (VJ Day) was declared on 15 August 1945, following Imperial Japan’s surrender to Allied Forces.

With Victory in Europe (VE Day) declared in May 1945, some have felt that historically VJ Day has been overlooked, undervaluing the sacrifices of those who continued to fight on for another three months.

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In his message, the King will say that the service and sacrifice of those who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East “shall never be forgotten”.

He will also refer to the experience endured by prisoners of war and to the innocent civilians of occupied lands in the region.

Read more:
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King Charles and Queen Camilla will also publicly mark the anniversary by attending a national service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

The service, run in partnership with the Royal British Legion, will be attended by Burma Star recipients, a veteran of the British Indian Army and those involved in the Battles of Kohima and Imphal.

Prisoners of war held across the region and veterans stationed in the UK or Commonwealth countries who contributed to the war effort will also attend. A two-minute national silence will be held at midday.

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