Police in Clacton were today stepping up their search for a woman who has gone missing from her home in the town

Emergency services were scrambled last night after the woman, who is in her 30s, could not be found.

Police officers, Clacton and Walton coastguards and the Clacton lifeboat all joined in the hunt along the town's seafront but were unable to find her.

They launched the search about 8pm and had to call it off at about 1am today.

Insp Paul Morton said they would be retracing their inquiries and deciding what new resources they could put into the effort.

"We are obviously concerned because this woman was last seen walking along Clacton seafront towards Holland-on-Sea at about 6pm yesterday evening," he said.

"There have been no reported sightings since then, despite the resources which were put into the job by the emergency services. It is particularly worrying, due to the last sighting being close to the sea.

Insp Morton said police had called for a helicopter last night but it had not joined in due to the problem of defining the area in which the woman might be found. The woman has not been named at the request of her family.

Published Tuesday, May 20, 2003

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