Village shocked by missing woman search
Great Bedwyn helps in Savernake Forest search for Sian O'Callaghan and displays posters
THE village of Great Bedwyn has been shocked by the police searches taking place on its doorstep at Savernake Forest for missing woman Sian O'Callaghan.
On the face of it everything seems calm in this tranquil and peaceful village but if you stop and chat to residents you'll find a very different story.
Some of the villagers made up the 300-strong volunteer team that took part in the police search at Savernake Forest on Tuesday.
Margaret Vyze who works at The Bakery in Church Street, Great Bedwyn, said: "It's shocking because it's so close to home. If I wasn't working I would have been at the forest helping to search.
"I think it's a mother's worst nightmare because I've got a 25-year-old daughter myself and I always tell her not to go out on her own. It doesn't matter how old you are it seems you're just not safe anymore.
"I can't imagine what Sian's parents are going through at the moment. I've been thinking about the family since her disappearence."
Police search and rescue teams have been distributing missing posters with Miss O'Callaghan's face on around Great Bedwyn.
Alan Carr, who manages The Three Tuns in the village High Street with his wife, Jan, said: "We've just come back from America but we've seen it on the news and got some posters up in the pub. It's terrible news."
Another High Street village pub, The Cross Keys, also has posters of Miss O'Callaghan displayed behind the bar.
The Post Office in Church Street and The Stores in the High Street have missing posters displayed in their windows.
Great Bedwyn Tennis Club member Vanessa Mallinson said: "I have been away but when I came back I have heard a lot of talk about Sian's disappearance in the village. The posters are displayed all over as well."
As the news broke this afternoon (Thursday) that police had arrested a man on suspicion of the kidnap of the Miss O'Callaghan, who is aged 22 and from Swindon, police continued their search at Savernake Forest and a police helicopter has been circling overhead taking aerial images of the forest.
A large contingent of the media and press are still camped at Postern Hill in the forest where volunteers met police on Tuesday to help with the search.
Miss O'Callaghan has not been seen since she left the town's Suju nightclub in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Police are searching for a green Toyota Avensis estate, which was seen between Swindon and the Savernake Forest, near Marlborough, Wiltshire, shortly after Miss O'Callaghan was last seen.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police immediately on 0845 408 7000 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 where details may be left anonymously if preferred.
