Drones deployed in search for missing runner, 23, who vanished on remote moor

Jenny, 23, a long-distance runner, was last seen leaving her home in Tow Law, County Durham, shortly after 3pm on Tuesday (Picture: North News)

Specialist drones have been deployed as the search for missing runner Jenny Hall entered a fourth day today.

Jenny, 23, a long-distance runner, was last seen leaving her home in Tow Law, County Durham, shortly after 3pm on Tuesday.

Her car, a red Ford Focus, was found on Wednesday parked on the B6278, near remote moorland between Eggleston and Stanhope.

Footage of the vehicle in a lay-by shows a large expanse of moorland, demonstrating how remote and isolated the area is.

A major search effort involving police officers and mountain rescue teams has been focused on Hamsterley Forest and the surrounding areas, where there are a number of running trails.

John Little, from the Teesside and Weardale Mountain Rescue and is helping co-ordinate the search, said the hunt for Jenny has proved a ‘massive task’.

Jenny Hall’s last known movements before she was reported missing (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

A major search effort involving police officers and mountain rescue teams has been focused on Hamsterley Forest and the surrounding areas (Picture: Jordan Crosby)

Police officers have been working alongside mountain rescue teams (Picture: Jordan Crosby)

Speaking to Sky News, he said: ‘It’s a very wild area, and she could be almost anywhere within it.’

He said seven drones have been deployed to help scour the vast wildland, with 60 mountain rescue volunteers from 10 different teams spread out combing the area.

While at first glance the land appears flat and relatively easy to navigate, Mr Little said the terrain is ‘very difficult terrain to cover and search’.

‘It doesn’t look too bad and you could just gamble across it,’ he said.

‘But you go a bit further afield, and suddenly you get deep groughs you can fall into.

‘Very very soft peat – you can go in up to your waist before you know what’s happened, thigh-deep heather. Very, very slow going, very hard work.’

A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said: ‘Expert teams with specialist equipment will continue their search for missing woman Jenny Hall today.

‘Officers, assisted by highly-experienced search and mountain rescue teams, will be working in Hamsterley Forest and the surrounding areas for anything that could help locate the 23-year-old.

‘Specialist drones are also being used in the methodical search which is the latest tool being adopted in the intensive operation.

Jenny’s red car was found on a rural road (Picture: North News)

‘We want to thank the public for their ongoing support and whilst we appreciate the offer of volunteers, we would ask that people do not join the search themselves as this could disturb the ongoing work and potentially distract expert sniffer dogs.’

Police said on Friday that searchers have faced ‘challenging weather conditions and terrain’.

Digital intelligence officers have checked Jenny’s mobile phone, smartwatch and running apps, but have found no leads.

Chief Inspector Dean Haythornthwaite added: ‘It’s day four now in the search for Jenny Hall.

Weather conditions have made the search difficult (Picture: North News)

‘We have officers and colleagues from mountain rescue out in Hamsterley Forest today carrying out that search activity.

‘I just want to say a huge thank you first of all to all the members of the public who have contacted us with information. We really do appreciate your help and support in this.

‘I am aware that we are going to have families down in Hamsterley Forest today enjoying the facilities and my ask would just be this – if we can just allow those officers the space to carry out their search and try not to disrupt that search area if you do see people out and about involved in that activity.

‘And if you do have any information please do give us a call.’

Jenny is described as being white, 6ft tall with dark brown hair, which may have been tied in a ponytail.

She was last seen wearing a blue John Deere hoodie, dark jogging bottoms, and may have been carrying a green jacket.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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