Victoria Taylor search: Five unanswered questions in hunt for missing mum

Victoria Taylor, 34, was last seen at her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on Monday morning.

The search for missing mum Victoria Taylor who disappeared five days ago continues - but questions remain unanswered as police ramp-up efforts to locate her.

The 34-year-old was last seen at her Malton, North Yorkshire home on Monday morning around 9am, before being spotted on CCTV two hours later buying a soft drink at a local BP garage.

She has not been in touch with loved ones since.

The mum, thought to be a carer, is described as white and approximately 5ft six inches tall.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a black Adidas original puffer jacket with white stripes down the sleeves and a grey Jack Wills hooded jumper.

Police released CCTV footage yesterday, taken at 11.35am on Monday at a BP garage on Welham Road in the Norton area of Malton, showing the nurse inside.

Where was Victoria going?

Ms Taylor was seen at her Malton home at 9am on Monday morning with her fiance Matthew and their two-year-old daughter while she was on the phone. Matthew and Victoria then left with their daughter to visit his parents, reports the Mirror.

Matthew's sister, Heidi Baker, stated that after leaving their parents' home, Victoria did not come back. A local woman spotted her crossing the railway near a Lidl store on Welham Road around 11.30 to 12pm, making her way towards the River Derwent.

A local witness then saw her walking down a path that leads to the river, and then residents noticed her passing the Riverside Playground and strolling down an overgrown path by the river between 11.30am and noon.

Police officers were seen scouring a stretch of the River Derwent in Malton, North Yorkshire, in the quest to find Victoria today. Officers geared up in kayaks from Marine and Underwater Search Units while missing person posters adorned the market town.

Inspector Leanne Anderson from North Yorkshire Police commented: "There are a range of enquiries taking place to try and locate Victoria. This is still a missing person enquiry, and the focus of our activity is within the Malton / Norton area. Extensive searches will take place today and I would urge members of the public in the Malton / Norton areas to remain vigilant and report sightings or pass information to police immediately."

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Why where her belongings found discarded?

It is understood some of Victoria's personal items were found near the River Derwent banks. Despite no sign of the missing mum yet, evidence found last night indicates Victoria might have been in the vicinity.

Her family came across the soft drinks bottles she purchased from the BP garage, and further down the path, police located the green baseball cap she wore at the garage, along with a salmon pink Vans rucksack left out in the open.

Why was her social media still active?

In a puzzling development, friends reported that Victoria Taylor's Instagram account appeared "active" following her disappearance. A Facebook group dedicated to finding he bride-to-be as attracted over 4,000 members, with many sharing their theories.

One member noted recent activity on the nurse's social media profile.

The reason behind the activity on her Instagram remains unclear. While some speculated that Ms Taylor's family might be using her account, leading to its active status, her relatives have confirmed they haven't accessed her social media profiles.

Could she have travelled outside of the Malton area?

Questions are now being raised about whether Victoria could have travelled beyond the Malton area.

There is currently no evidence to suggest that Victoria left the local area, police have confirmed. Despite exhaustive checks, including a thorough review of local train and bus station footage, there has been no sign that Victoria boarded any form of public transport.

Nor has there been any activity on her cash card since she purchased soft drinks at the BP garage where she was last seen on CCTV. North Yorkshire Police are concentrating their efforts within the vicinity, with Inspector Leanne Anderson stating on Tuesday: "There are a range of enquiries taking place to try and locate Victoria. This is still a missing person enquiry, and the focus of our activity is within the Malton/Norton area."

She further urged the community, particularly those around Malton and Norton, to be alert and report any leads to the police immediately, adding: "Extensive searches will take place today and I would urge members of the public in the Malton / Norton areas to remain vigilant and report sightings or pass information to police immediately."

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