Man held over missing grandmother (From Andover Advertiser)

Man held over missing grandmother

7:23am Monday 11th March 2013 in National News © Press Association 2013

Police are questioning a man in connection with the disappearance of a missing grandmother.

Detectives looking for Pamela Jackson, 55, from Chester-le-Street, say they now have "genuine reason to suspect she may have come to harm".

A 50-year-old man from Halifax, West Yorkshire, has been arrested in Chester-le-Street in connection with the search and is in custody at Durham police office.

More than 40 officers and specialist police staff are now working on the inquiry.

Mrs Jackson, who is also known as Cris or Crissie, was reported missing on Thursday evening after her son Joe, 21, became concerned.

A Durham Police spokesman said there has been no definite sighting of her since Saturday March 2 when she was last seen at her home in The Crescent.

He said there has been no activity on her mobile phone for several days and her Facebook page has also not been updated in the same time.

Detective Superintendent Ken Donnelly said: "Our main focus is on finding Pamela and we have a number of actions to follow up in our continuing search for her. However, the inquiries we have carried out so far give us genuine reason to suspect she may have come to harm, and for that reason we have made an arrest and we have a man in custody helping us with our inquiries."

Mrs Jackson does not drive and does not work due to health issues. She also has two other adult sons, Andrew and Christopher, police said.

The grandmother is described as petite and is 5ft, slim and with very long, black hair which is usually straight. She has a black rose tattoo to the upper right arm and large Celtic-style letters to the upper left arm and usually wears what is described as vintage-style clothing with rings and costume jewellery.