Katie Kenyon: Police prioritise search in Forest of Bowland for missing mother-of-two

A 50-year-old man has been charged with murder in connection with disappearance

Katie Kenyon was last seen getting into a silver Ford Transit van on 22 April (Lancashire Police/PA)

Police searching for missing mother-of-two Katie Kenyon are reportedly prioritising a new area of woodland after officers received a tip-off from a member of the public.

The 33-year-old has been missing for almost a week after she was last seen on the morning of Friday 22 April leaving an address in Todmorden Road in Burnley.

She then got into a van that is believed to have been heading towards the Bolton-by-Bowland area.

The member of the public told Lancashire Police that they saw the silver Ford Transit van near the Forest of Bowland the day Ms Kenyon disappeared.

Officers will be applying “search and forensic scrutiny” in that area for “a number of days”, the force said as reported by BBC and Sky.

Police search for any signs of Katie in Gisburn Forest (Matthew Lofthouse/SWNS)

The Forest of Bowland is in the Gisburn Forest area, where previous searches have been carried out, by more than 60 specialist officers from four forces.

Previously, the police said that they have been “working on the basis” that Ms Kenyon is “sadly no longer alive”.

Meanwhile, a 50-year-old man is under arrest in connection with the police’s investigation and is currently helping with inquiries.

Andrew Burfield, of Todmorden Road in Burnley, appeared at Blackburn magistrates’ court on Thursday morning charged with Ms Kenyon’s murder. He had previously been accused of kidnap, and is due before Preston crown court on Friday (29 April).

Ms Kenyon is described as 5ft 9in and white with shoulder-length strawberry blonde or ginger hair. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt or jacket and white vest top, black leggings and flip flops.

The silver Ford Transit van with the registration MT57 FLC (Lancashire Police/PA)

Earlier this week, Det Supt Gary Brooks, the head of major crime at Lancashire Police, said earlier this week: “Despite extensive police enquiries and media appeals we have not found Katie nor have there been any sightings of Katie.

“We have spoken to Katie’s family today and they are understandably extremely upset by this latest development and I have officers continuing to offer them support. My thoughts are with them at this time.

“I am really grateful for all the help that members of the public have given us so far and I would continue to appeal to anyone who has any information, however small, to come forward and speak to us.”

People are being urged not to speculate on social media as this could cause Ms Kenyon’s family “additional distress”, the force said.

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting log 800 of April 24, or contact via the major incident public portal here.

Alternatively, those with information can anonymously contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.