Fears growing for missing pensioner

Audrey Gibson. Photo / Supplied

Concerns are mounting as police and relatives search for an elderly Hamilton woman who has not been seen since she went to a hair appointment a week ago.

Audrey Gibson, who turned 82 on Monday, went to her nearby hairdresser just a couple of hundred metres from her Comries Rd flat in Chartwell last Wednesday as she normally did every six weeks.

The pensioner, who has lived alone for the past eight years in the block of council flats, left the Hair Studio salon about 4.30pm.

She has not been seen since.

Her daughter Sue Manga said she had been looking forward to coming from Auckland to Hamilton for a quiet birthday celebration with her mum.

Instead, the Mangere shop manager was trying to co-ordinate about 30 whanau members, some of whom had come from as far away as Kaikohe, to distribute flyers in the search for their grandmother.

"This is not like her at all and while we are trying to keep an open mind we are very, very worried," said Mrs Manga.

She said her mother took medication for high blood pressure and angina but had no history of mental illness.

Mrs Gibson also preferred to stay at home to tend to her garden or play boardgames with her neighbours.

One of Mrs Gibson's grandchildren thought it strange when she went to her house last Thursday and got no answer so left her birthday gift at the front door.

"The unusual thing at the time was her bedroom curtains were still drawn ... she came back the next day and the gift was still hanging on the door," said Mrs Manga.

Several phone calls from family members went unanswered before the Hamilton City Council were called to open the flat, which has a well-tended garden and dozens of family pictures hanging from the walls, on Sunday.

"We found her washing still on her clothes horse and she had left her bank books behind so she had no access to money other than what she had on her," said Mrs Manga.

"A neighbour said there were no lights on in the house on Wednesday which leads us to believe she never came back here after the hairdressers."

Sergeant Phil Bell of the Waikato Police Search and Rescue Squad said there were grave fears for Mrs Gibson's safety.

The 160cm-tall Mrs Gibson has grey hair and was last seen wearing a white and brown loose top jersey with a white sleeveless shirt, brown trousers and carrying a green canvas shopping bag and her black hand-bag.

Her bank account has not been accessed since November 30 - two days before she went missing. Mr Bell said police had conducted an urban search and rescue operation which included checks with neighbours.

A forensics team were to start their investigation at the flat yesterday as police aboard a search boat began searching the nearby Waikato River and its banks.

* Anyone who may have seen Mrs Gibson is asked to contact the Hamilton Central Police Station on 07- 858-6200.