Frustration over search for missing teacher (From This Is Local London)

Frustration over search for missing teacher

8:18am Friday 24th March 2006 in

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FEARS are growing for the safety of missing teacher Sarah Flooks with police admitting three weeks after her disappearance there is nothing to suggest that she is alive and well.

But her boyfriend of 30 years, John Mouzouros, says he is losing patience with police who, he says, "could be doing more" to help find her.

Miss Flooks left her home in Wanstead Park Avenue, Wanstead, at 7am on the morning of Thursday, March 2. But she did not arrive at work that day and police are dumbfounded as to her whereabouts.

Last Thursday, police revisited Aldersbrook Road to try to jog the memory of passers-by who might have seen Miss Flooks two weeks previously.

"Maybe it's just my frustration but I think they could be doing more."

Ms Flook's boyfriend John Mouzouros

But the appeal ended without success and now they appear to have hit a brick wall.

Speaking to the Guardian last Thursday, Det Ch Insp Phil Jones said: "We have searched Wanstead Park, the route to school, the school itself and her home but have found absolutely nothing at all to give us a clue as to what has happened to her or whether she is alive and well.

"We are concerned because the longer someone is missing the more likely it is that something is seriously wrong. There has been nothing to show us that she is alive and well."

However DCI Jones also said there was no evidence so far to suggest foul play.

A frustrated Mr Mouzouros said: "I am pestering the police to check CCTV. There are lots of CCTV cameras near Manor Park station but they just keep saying there is lots to go through. Maybe it's just my frustration but I think they could be doing more."

Police said they were working as quickly as they could. A spokeswoman said: "We are in the process of looking at CCTV but there is lots and lots of footage to go through and it is a long process."

Monega Primary School in Manor Park, where Miss Flooks works, was visited by Ofsted inspectors on the day of her disappearance, which initially raised fears she may have panicked and decided against going to work.

Originally police believed Miss Flooks' blue Ford Ka had been parked in nearby Northumberland Avenue since the evening before her disappearance, but now they say it was not there on the Wednesday night and was moved there, possibly by Miss Flooks herself, on the Thursday morning.

Witnesses claimed to have seen Miss Flooks walking along Aldersbrook Road on the Thursday morning and also possibly close to Manor Park station, although this has not been confirmed by police.