Missing Victoria Taylor's friends slam 'sick' troll for 'cruel' social media post

Victoria Taylor - known by friends and family as Vixx - vanished last Monday, and since then a huge search operation has gathered momentum in Malton, North Yorkshire

Friends of missing Victoria Taylor have slammed a “sick” troll who falsely claimed the missing mum had been found as police searched a river with specialist equipment.

The “cruel” social media post was removed from a group set up to help find the 34-year-old mum, who vanished last Monday. After a week of pleading for her safe return, family have been rallying the community to help with the search.

Victoria disappeared from her home on Monday September 30 and was last seen on CCTV a few hours later at a petrol station. Her family and police have since found some of her belongings on the river bank.

The nurse, who works in a care home, was last seen wearing blue jeans, a black Adidas original puffer jacket and a grey Jack Wills hooded jumper. One organiser of the Facebook page set up to help find Victoria urged people to ignore "the idiot" and told how they had blocked the troll.

“I am so sorry that a cruel and sick individual is taking away the real focus of this group. I have reported his profile, if more folks do the same Facebook may do something. Sending love and positive thoughts," they said.

Victoria’s close friend says she "won't be giving up" on finding the "beautiful" mum, who is also known as Vixx. Friends, family and volunteers have all been checking the river edges, fields and local woods.

On Monday police teams continued their search of the River Derwent using kayaks and sonar equipment. Charlotte Cundill, who helps organise a Facebook page dedicated to the search by friends and family, said: "Day eight, we have rolled into another week. Not what any of us wanted but we won't be giving up on you beautiful."

Another person posted in the group: "I really cannot stop thinking about your beautiful friend. I know I don't know her personally like thousands of others, but she has really touched our hearts. I pray she is safe and found really soon for you all, sending love to you."

Local residents and friends have been searching the market town and putting missing posters up. One has been posted outside of St Leonard and St Mary Catholic Church in Malton - where it's believed she hoped to marry fiancé Matthew Williams.

Victoria's sisters Emma and Heidi said in a statement on Friday that her disappearance had left them “feeling sick, distraught and lost." Victoria, who is originally from Huddersfield, West Yorks., is described as a white woman who is approximately 5ft six inches tall.

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