NORTH Wales Police has joined the search for a missing woman presumed dead.
A man arrested on suspicion of the kidnap of missing Burnley mum Katie Kenyon was further arrested suspicion of her murder.
While Katie has not yet been found, and the search for her is continuing, detectives are now working on the basis that she is sadly no longer alive.
The enquiry has now shifted form a missing from home to a homicide investigation.
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The 50-year-old man under arrest for Katie’s murder remains in custody where he is being questioned about her disappearance.
Police believe that at about 9.30am on Friday (April 22) a woman matching Katie’s description left an address on Todmorden Road, Burnley with a man and travelled in the silver Ford Transit (pictured) registration MT57 FLC to the Bolton by Bowland area. She has not been seen since.
The search teams now number more than 60 trained search officers from Lancashire, North Wales, Merseyside and Greater Manchester, with specialist dogs, a plane and other specialist search equipment being used.
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Det Supt Gary Brooks, Lancashire Police’s Head of Major Crime, said: “While I hold some slim hope that Katie may still be found alive I’m sad to say that Katie has now been missing for over four days. Despite extensive police enquiries and media appeals we have not found Katie nor have there been any sightings of Katie.
“We are continuing to search a number of different locations in connection with this investigation, including at Gisburn Forest and I am grateful to colleagues from Merseyside and North Wales, and other emergency service partners who are offering assistance in the these complex and wide-scale searches.
“I am aware that many members of the public have offered to help us in those searches and while I am grateful for that I would dissuade anyone from doing so. The area we are searching is very large and remote with no phone signal. The police teams are trained professionals who are used to doing this sort of work and I would hate for someone to get lost or come to harm while trying to help. Please leave it to us.”
Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting log 800 of April 24 or you can contact them through the Major Incident Public Portal at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/0401020119P01-PO1
Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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