Body of missing mum Victoria Taylor found in river almost a month after disappearance

The body of missing mum Victoria Taylor has tragically been found in the River Derwent, police have confirmed. Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox delivered the devastating news after the 34 year old vanished with her personal items near the River Derwent in Malton on September 30.

Speaking from Fulford Police Station in York, he revealed: "Today we've recovered a body in the search for missing 34-year-old Victoria Taylor. The police underwater search team made the discovery at approximately 11.45 am this morning."

He further stated that the body was found "close to where Ms Taylor's belongings were recovered". While formal identification is yet to be carried out, Victoria's family have been informed and are "understandably, they are distressed by today's news," according to the police chief.

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He continued: "While today's outcome is not what anyone wished for, Victoria's family have asked me to express thanks to those who supported North Yorkshire Police and the emergency services."

He also expressed gratitude to members of the public who responded to North Yorkshire Police's appeals for information, reports the Mirror.

In a recent development, North Yorkshire police acknowledged the "significant possibility" that the missing mum might have ended up in the river after discovering a baseball cap and rucksack identified as hers. The force has intensified their search efforts, involving both divers and local volunteers to locate her.

She was last seen leaving her residence around 9 am, with CCTV capturing a glimpse of her at the BP petrol station on Welham Road in Norton, Malton by 11.35 am, moving on to be spotted at Malton bus station on Railway Street at about 11.53 am. Furthermore, additional footage positioned Ms Taylor strolling towards Riverside Walk's play park at 12.30 pm.

The case has sparked significant public involvement, with nearly 11,000 folks signing up to a Facebook group eagerly awaiting updates. Despite many messages of support, some individuals have unfortunately resorted to trolling on social media.

Emma, a close friend of Ms Taylor, has urged everyone to exercise care with their online comments, emphasising the need for accurate information and urging people to refrain from baseless speculation. On day 20 of the distressing search, Emma expressed how swiftly time has passed: "It doesn't feel like 20 days, they have gone by in a blur, we cannot describe the feelings as we can't process them ourselves. Trying to have some normality for the little ones in our family. Please be mindful of what you post, speculation does not help. The information is factual and comes from the police."

She continued: "We have (zero) tolerance and any unhelpful/troll comments will see it removed. The weather is going to be awful throughout today, please take care when out searching. Warm clothes, flask and waterproofs if possible! The police have and will be out over the weekend. As a family, we continue to hold on to hope. For all new members, the feature page contains pictures with info and the updates."

On the two-week anniversary of Victoria's disappearance, her sisters Emma and Heidi expressed their gratitude towards the police and public for their support, noting that Halloween is one of Victoria's favourite times of year. They released a heartfelt statement saying: "There are no words for us to describe how we are feeling as it's ever-changing.

"We have to have some sort of normality for the children. As we know, Vixx is a mum but also an auntie and Halloween is one of her favourite seasons as she is the costume queen! We would like to thank the police teams as they are doing all they can, and we understand that these things take time. The local community is amazing, from putting up posters to the daily walks to search for Vixx. We would like to thank the special people, you know who you are."

"The wider community on the Facebook page with over 10,000 people sharing Vixx's information and sending support has given us comfort. We continue to have hope, as it is all we have at this time."

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