British expat mum vanishes from caravan park as husband wakes up to find her gone

Stephanie Sparks, 72, has been missing for nine weeks with no trace after vanishing from a caravan park in France, where she has lived with her husband Ken since 2012

A British expat mum has disappeared from a caravan site with her family in anguish as the search goes on.

Stephanie Sparks has been reported missing for nine weeks without a single clue. The 72-year-old has resided overseas since 2012 alongside her husband Ken – who was the final person to see her.

On the day she disappeared, the couple had been to a supermarket before heading back to their caravan at the Camping Les Vigères site, in Le Chalard. Ken dozed off and subsequently awoke to discover his wife had vanished. The 72-year-old, originally from Redcar, North Yorkshire, did not take any of her belongings – with cash, cards and her phone all left behind.

French authorities have deployed drones, divers, dogs and a helicopter to scour areas they enjoyed walking together.

Stephanie’s daughter Tracy Thomson has been assisting Ken overseas while the search carries on.

Enquiries into the mother’s disappearance have been initiated by the gendarme, French police.

On the day of her disappearance she was wearing dark trousers, black or grey boots and a light blue puffer jacket.

Stephanie is described as having a slim build and grey hair.

The avid walker has been missing since January 29 with not a single sighting since, as reported by NeedToKnow.

Tracy Thomson said: “Mum, please just let us know you are safe, we love and miss you very much.

“The gendarme have searched and have found no clues as to where she went.

“Please keep sharing this as she must be out there somewhere.

“If you see Mum please let us know, we just want to know she’s ok.”

Meanwhile, police investigating the eerie disappearance of a psychologist have released new disturbing CCTV footage. Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto, 30, was reported missing on March 4 and has not been in touch with her family since the previous day when she was at Essex University in Colchester.

Essex Police’s newly released CCTV shows a woman believed to be Barreto walking across a field and later near a Brightlingsea boatyard. The footage is believed to showcase the moment she travelled to the Essex seaside town on March 3 following a visit to a friend at the University of Essex in Colchester.

Detectives reportedly say Barreto took the number 87 bus from Wivenhoe to Brightlingsea after her visit.

Police reportedly believe she arrived in the Bellfield Avenue area at about 1.30pm on March 3 and was then captured on a doorbell camera in the Hurst Green area around an hour later. The newly released footage, filmed from a distance, appears to show a person officers believe to be Barreto.

Essex Police said the clip was recorded between Back Waterside Lane and Mill Street at 3.33pm, the Sun reported. Officers have also issued a further CCTV clip, which they say shows Barreto beyond what had previously been described as her last sighting.