FRESH SEARCH
for missing Avril
SPECIALIST divers will be brought in by police searching for missing Avril Whitfield in an abandoned quarry lake.
Search team specialists including divers have already scoured the land near Seiont Brickworks Quarry, Caernarfon, but without finding any clues as to the whereabouts of 57-year-old who has been missing from the town since April 1.
The last search of the area and the former clay pit now filled with water was in July.
Police now want to send in a specialist team of divers for a second time to a part of the lake that they want to investigate further.
North Wales Chief Inspector of Operations for Gwynedd and Môn Richie Green said the last reported sightings of Avril were near the Tesco supermarket and at Cibyn but they were still keeping an open mind about her disappearance.
Chief Insp Green said: “It’s very easy to get lost around the former brickworks and the lake is very deep. There are lots of trees around the lake, plants and vegetation.”
Chief Insp Green said police divers and specialist search and rescue teams including Sarda and Bird. RAF and mountain rescue teams had each helped in the search. Police divers had also used sonar equipment.
He said: “Each team specialise in different expertise. We are happy that we have searched three-quarters of the lake. We are not a 100% happy about one part of the lake and we would like to search it prop- erly. The Bird searchers used a dog and he sensed that something wasn’t right.”
Chief Insp Green said they had informed Avril’s family, her sister Ann and Avril’s boyfriend Steve about their plans.
He added: “The lake is very deep, made of clay and difficult to get to - visibility is very poor. The Bird searchers and divers are specialists in this kind of work.”
Police hope that the Bird team will be able to carry out their work in the near future.