Missing writer: Sniffer dogs called in
POLICE looking for a missing writer yesterday drained the cesspit in her garden.
The search operation at Helen Bailey’s detached home also involved sniffer dogs.
The 51-year-old author – best known for her Electra Brown and Daisy Davenport books for teenagers – shares the property with her 55-yearold partner Ian Stewart.
She was last seen on April 11 walking with her dachshund Boris. She left a note saying she needed time alone.
Drain engineers arrived with a truck at her home in Royston, Hertfordshire, around 9.30am yesterday. ‘They drained the cesspit and then took sniffer dogs into the house and to the cesspit,’ said a neighbour.
Plain-clothed officers were seen entering the house with large holdalls. They are examining Mrs Bailey’s social media accounts and emails to see who she had been in contact with. However they do not believe a third party was involved in her disappearance.
A close friend of Mrs Bailey said she had been having a hard time because Mr Stewart was suffering health problems.
She was also affected by the anniversary of her husband’s death. John Sinfield drowned on a holiday to Barbados in 2011 – a tragedy she has documented in a book and on a blog.
Kate Boydell, who became Mrs Bailey’s friend through the shared experience of losing a partner, said: ‘When you are offering support to people you have to be really supportive of yourself.
‘All of that giving can suck the life out of you if you’re not completely strong. Every time you talk about a person dying – having to speak about that – it sucks a little bit out of you.
‘I really, really hope it has a positive outcome. She has given a lot of hope to a lot of people.’
Police have released photographs of her dog in the hope of jogging memories.
Julie Wheatley, a chief inspector for Hertfordshire Constabulary, said: ‘We do not know if Helen and Boris are still together so we are asking anyone who thinks they may have come across him to please contact police. Any information, no matter how seemingly insignificant, could greatly assist our investigation.
‘We are still very much keeping an open mind around the circumstances of Helen’s disappearance, bearing in mind she had stated that she needed some time to herself before she was last seen. However, as time goes on, the concerns for her welfare are growing.’