Search for missing woman moves to Bray Head

Gardaí who are seeking an elderly woman who went missing from a nursing home in Bray, Co Wicklow, over Christmas are now concentrating their search around Bray Head.

A fresh appeal was made to anyone in the area on the night of December 25th after a woman fitting the description of Maura Reynolds was seen outdoors at that time. This was a number of hours before she was reportedly seen in her room by staff at the Tara Nursing Home on Putland Road.

Gardaí have appealed to anyone either on the Bray seafront near Bray Head or on the Bray Head walk between 9pm and 11pm, to contact them, if only to eliminate the suspected sighting from their inquiries.

Paul Costello, joint director of Tara Nursing Home on Putland Road, from which Ms Reynolds went missing, said "to the best of our knowledge" she was seen by a nurse at the premises shortly after midnight.

The alarm was raised at 6.30am on St Stephen's Day when her bed was found to be empty.

Ms Reynolds (78), a grandmother of nine and great grandmother of one, has been suffering from Alzheimer's disease and severe dementia. She also has cancer of the spine, which means she is unable to walk long distances.

Her son George Reynolds thanked both gardaí and the public for their support on a third day of searches yesterday.

Gardens, sheds and hedgerows in the immediate vicinity of the nursing home were searched again yesterday, as was the home itself.

Local residents who were away for the Christmas holidays have been asked to search their properties on their return.

The nursing home, where Ms Reynolds had been living for the past 18 months, is a short walk from Bray's pebble beach - a popular local attraction whose promenade was busy with walkers and holiday-makers yesterday.

Mr Costello, who runs the 50- bed nursing home with his wife and a staff of 44, said everyone on duty on the night had given written statements, confirming that all doors were checked and found to be locked at midnight.

However, the following morning a key was discovered in the kitchen door that had not been there earlier in the night, prompting speculation that Ms Reynolds had got hold of it somehow, before leaving through the door, he said.

"I am confident the normal procedure in relation to Maura was followed and something has gone wrong which we have not got to the bottom of yet. This is our worst nightmare.

"We have a duty of care to everyone in this nursing home. We just want to help in any way we can," he said.

Ms Reynolds is described as 163cm (5ft 4in) with white hair and she walks with a slight stoop. She is believed to have been wearing a dark purple suit. According to members of her family, she had been dropped back to the home at 9.30pm on December 25th after enjoying Christmas dinner with them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bray Garda station at 01-666 5300.