Pictured: Missing Sophie Smith, 21, from Gorleston, Lincolnshire
A mother is begging for her missing daughter to come home after the 21-year-old vanished in the early hours of Boxing Day wearing only a onesie.
Distraught Lynn Shaw from Great Yarmouth pleaded in an online post: ‘Sophie, you are my world. Why didn’t I protect you? Please come home. Please just walk through the door.’
Her statement came at 3.13am today, almost 24 hours after bio medicine student was last seen at their family home in Gorleston-on-sea, Norfolk.
A huge search involving a police helicopter, lifeboats, coastguard patrols, firefighters and lowland rescue teams so far has failed to any trace of her.
It is understood the University of East Anglia student does not have her phone with her.
In an emotional post to Facebook, a family friend wrote: ‘Please anybody around Gorleston today, especially up near the cliffs/seafront can you keep your eyes peeled for our dear dear friend Sophie.
‘As she is somebody that only ever thinks of others, I am worried that she is cold somewhere and in need of help from us so please help us to find her soon.
‘If you spot her please call the police immediately and tell them where you are/where she is.
‘We are all praying she walks through the door at any time but we need everybody’s help to make that happen sooner.’
Emotional appeal: Distraught Lynn Shaw from Great Yarmouth pleaded with her 21-year-old daughter to return home
Increasingly worried: Norfolk Police said they were growing concerned for Sophie after she was last seen around 3am on Tuesday in Gorleston-on-Sea near Great Yarmouth
Police said they were ‘increasingly concerned’ for Sophie Smith after she went missing at 3am on Tuesday from her home in Avondale Road, Gorleston-on-Sea, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Sophie who is in her second year of studying for a biomedicine degree at the University of East Anglia was originally though to be wearing a onesie and a blue puff jacket when she disappeared.
But police revealed today that she had only been wearing a dark coloured vest top and light coloured shorts.
Sophie was described as being around 5ft 8ins tall of slim build with shoulder length blonde hair.
A Norfolk Police spokesman said officers were ‘becoming increasingly concerned for her welfare’.
A huge search involving a police helicopter, lifeboats, Coastguard patrols, firefighters and lowland rescue teams has failed to any trace of Sophie
He added: ‘Officers are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen Sophie or knows of her current whereabouts.’
The inshore Great Yarmouth and Gorleston RNLI lifeboat was launched at 4.30am on Boxing day and spent more than four hours searching the coastline between Gorleston and Caister for any sign of Sophie.
The offshore boat at the lifeboat station was launched later on Boxing Day morning and spent an hour searching further out to sea.
Coastguard teams from Gorleston, Winterton and Lowestoft, Suffolk, were tasked with searching beaches with the assistance of a police helicopter.
Firefighters and volunteers from Norfolk Lowland Search and Rescue were continuing to search other areas inland today (wed).
Hundreds of people shared appeals on social media to try and find Sophie.
One friend said: ‘If spotted please call the police IMMEDIATELY as her family and friends have been looking for her and it is freezing outside so any information would be useful as she is probably exhausted and freezing in this weather.
‘If you are a business and have CCTV in the local area around Gorleston of the early hours this morning (Boxing Days) please check footage for her.
‘Helicopters and boats have been out looking with no luck so any help is good. She is a student at UEA also and so any contact with her or anything that helps from any friends at uni is also useful.’
A spokesman for the University of East Anglia said: ‘Our thoughts are very much with Sophie, her family and her friends.
‘Our paramount concern is for Sophie’s safety and welfare and we would urge anyone who may have information about her whereabouts to contact Norfolk Police on 101.’