‘We won’t give up – with your help we will find her’
Vow despite ‘hard facts’ as police halt search
The desperate family of an 81-year-old woman missing since New Year’s Day have pledged to never give up looking for her, despite hearing “heartbreaking facts” from police.
Gloria Stringer was last seen more than three weeks ago, close to her Hollingbourne home in Hospital Road. But last week search teams admitted they were running out of information leading to her whereabouts following 1,500 hours of searches.
It has been revealed she had previously been found in people’s gardens after going missing on other occasions.
Mrs Stringer, who lives with her husband, is described as being very capable, fit and healthy and fond of walking but could sometimes become confused. Sightings include one at the Tudor Park Hotel along the Ashford Road and police suggest she may have walked down a nearby dirt path.
In a Facebook post on the Help Find Missing Gloria page a family member wrote: “Extensive searches of Hollingbourne area have been made and no clue has been found.
“Back in November Gloria was found in a person’s garden in Staplehurst hidden behind some trees. The property owner only discovered her around midnight when he let his dogs out.
“Also last year Gloria was also found in Leybourne. There have also been a couple of instances when she has been seen on the Coxheath road.
“As you can see Gloria has been known to travel great distances on foot. Her family is very concerned now.”
Police are continuing to appeal for information on Mrs Stringer’s whereabouts, but an extensive hunt, carried out with search and rescue teams from Kent and London, has been halted.
Another post, last Thursday, stated: “Today I have heard the heartbreaking hard facts from the police and we need to find Gloria as soon as possible, the weather has been so against us and the outcome is very daunting.
“Saying that, we remain positive and will never give up looking. We just need your continued help and support, any info will be greatly appreciated and investigated, we will find her and will never give up.”
Anyone with information should call police on 101, or 999 in an emergency, quoting 02-0342.