Missing nurse Victoria Taylor may have entered the River Derwent, police believe.
The 34-year-old mother-of-one, also known as Vixx, disappeared from Malton, North Yorkshire, on Monday last week.
Search teams have focused their efforts on the River Derwent, currently swollen due to heavy rain, after some of her personal items were found on its banks.
There is no evidence of third party involvement in Victoria’s disappearance, according to Chief Superintendent Fiona Willey.
At a press conference today, she said: ‘Based on the discovery of Victoria’s belongings so close to the water’s edge, we must accept the significant possibility that Victoria has entered the River Derwent.
‘Searches are currently under way, taking place on the river, and those searches have been taking place above and below the water surface.
‘The team are using specialist sonar equipment which gives officers a view below the surface. The use of this specialist resource will continue in the coming days.
‘Additional specialist police search officers are using drones to scour the rural areas close to where Victoria’s possessions were also found.’
Victoria leaves her home in Malton, North Yorkshire.
CCTV shows Victoria buying items at a BP garage on Welham Road in the Norton area of Malton.
Victoria was wearing blue jeans, a black Adidas puffer jacket with white stripes down the sides, a grey Jack Wills hoody, a camouflage cap and a salmon or pink Vans backpack.
Victoria clutches what appears to be a shopping bag to her chest at Malton Bus Station.
Police do not believe she boarded public transport.
Footage shows Victoria heading towards a riverside playground west of the bus stops where her belongings were later recovered.
Victoria was picked up on security cameras buying items in a garage and at a nearby bus station before walking towards the riverside playground where her items were found.
That was the last time Victoria was seen. She is described as a 5ft 6in tall white woman, who has a daughter with fiancé Matthew Grant Williams.
Her disappearance has shocked the local community, where locals have volunteered in daily searches and businesses have displayed missing posters.
Chief Superintendent Willey said the family ‘take comfort in the overwhelming amount of support from people both locally and further afield’.
Last week, her sisters Emma and Heidi said: ‘We currently feel sick, distraught and lost following the disappearance of Vixx, but we are trying to focus on the children in the family to maintain a sense of routine at this difficult time.
‘We would like to thank all the emergency services and volunteers who have assisted in the search for Vixx so far.
‘The wider local community has also rallied around, and we are eternally grateful for the support that they have given to us, Vixx’s family.’
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