Son describes disappearance of Laurel Aldridge as 'a nightmare'

The son of a woman who has gone missing in West Sussex has described her disappearance as "like a nightmare".

Laurel Aldridge, 62, has not been seen since 07:20 GMT on 14 February, when she left her home in Walberton, near Arundel.

Her brother-in-law, actor Mackenzie Crook, has been helping in the search.

Her family believe she is still in the area and her son, Matthew Aldridge, appealed for people to check sheds, outbuildings and doorbell footage.

"It is terrible, it's like a nightmare, in a way we're waiting to wake up from it," he said, "but we've got each other and we've received a lot of love and support from the wider community and that's really helping us get through.

"We're continuing to look in the local woodlands and fields. She loved nature so we think that's perhaps where she's gone."

Ms Aldridge is receiving chemotherapy, which Mr Aldridge said "adds to the urgency" of the search, and he believes could be the reason for her disappearance.

He said: "We think that having chemotherapy is a huge stress and this might have triggered a lapse in her mental health."

On Saturday police issued new pictures of Ms Aldridge taken on the day she disappeared.

She was wearing a grey coat, a turquoise cardigan, a red tartan scarf and a brown bobble hat.

Police have described her as "very vulnerable".

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