Police hunt for Joyce continues

But, nearly a month after Joyce, 74, disappeared from her home at Pebsham Lane, the investigation has inevitably been scaled down.

Joyce, who disappeared on November 22, had planned to baby-sit for one of her daughters that evening and was due to have lunch with the other the following day.

An extensive search of Pebsham and nearby woods and fields involved both police and specialist volunteer teams.

Search co-ordinator Sergeant Dan Boxall described in the Observer last week the extensive measures taken by police, including a personality profile to try an calculate where Joyce might have gone.

Scenes of crimes officers have scoured Joyce's home without success for any indication as to why she might have left.

Police confirmed that there had still been no progress in the hunt.