Pregnant daughter's plea to missing Betty

Sarah Smith, 23, made an emotional plea for information to help trace her mother Betty Brown, 55, who vanished without a trace in May.

The mother-of-two from Gorgie was captured on CCTV boarding a number 3 Lothian Bus in Nicolson Street at about 11.55am on May 28 and has not been seen since.

She was reported missing after failing to return to work at a care home in Gilmerton following a week's holiday.

Her daughter described Mrs Brown as a loving and caring person and said trying to cope with the stress of her disappearance had been an ordeal.

"It's hard to live day-to-day life, it's a living nightmare," said Mrs Smith, who lives in Gretna with her husband and two children.

"She has never done anything like this before and is a great mother and grandmother.

"If she could not get down to see us at Christmas she would always send a card but she has already missed quite a few special occasions, which is not like her at all.

"I'm due to give birth to my son in November and it would mean the world to me if she was here for that. It would mean everything."

Mrs Brown has so far failed to get in touch for her granddaughter's fifth birthday and her daughter's second wedding anniversary.

Mrs Smith said despite living some distance apart she and her mother were very close.

"We don't always see that much of each other but when we do it is always good," she said.

"Everyone in the family are just trying to keep positive at the moment. If she has seen the coverage in the papers and on TV I would ask her to contact someone and let us know she is safe and well."

Mrs Smith said her mum was sometimes depressed and lonely due to money problems and not being able to visit her grandchildren as much as she would have liked.

She said: "If she needed someone to chat to we were always here though. If she had money problems she could always ask us."

Ever since Mrs Brown went missing, her bank cards have been unused and her mobile phone has remained switched off.

Her daughter said: "It's very worrying because you cannot live without money, no-one can, so if she's alive and well someone must be supplying her with money, food and clothes."

A police search of a Duddingston Loch in Holyrood Park where Mrs Brown was known to have been a frequent walker drew a blank last week, but it is understood a specialist marine unit will be drafted in to search the loch this week.

A police spokesman stressed that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the case, and remains a missing persons inquiry.

Mrs Brown - also known by the surname Hunt - was last seen wearing a black jacket, open-neck blouse, blue jeans and black shoes, and was carrying two large Aldi carrier bags. She is described as around 5ft 7in, with fair hair, and glasses.

Originally from Hawick, police believe she may have travelled to her hometown from Nicolson Street but sources say her disappearance is out of character.

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