A son has spoken of his confusion and worry as his 70-year-old mother from Woodford Bridge has been missing since Tuesday

Nancy Ryan, 70, of Gaynes Hill Road, Woodford Bridge, has not been seen since leaving her home at 9pm.

Family, friends and Redbridge Police have been searching for the mother of three and grandmother of seven with posters put up and leaflets handed out in South Woodford and nearby.

Her 43-year-old son Michael, of Chelmsford Road, South Woodford, said: “She’s not someone who had problems and whose gone missing week in, week out.

“Her bank card hasn’t been used and she didn’t take her hand bag with her.

“The police have been as good as gold. They’re doing their best.

“Its like something you watch on TV, it sounds like a clich�.

“I was driving the streets, I thought she might have crashed out on a bench.”

Nancy had difficulty sleeping on Monday night and had gone to the doctors with Michael’s wife on Tuesday, where she was prescribed sleeping tablets.

Michael said: “I don’t know whether they reacted with her blood pressure tablets [and] caused her to be confused.”

Her husband Michael, 77, who has been married to Nancy for 48 years, thought she was going to a friend’s house on Tuesday evening.

Her son said she had been working until about six weeks ago.

Her other son also lives in South Woodford and her daughter cut short a holiday in France to come home.

Michael has visited the final stops of the 275 and W14 buses to check for her and visited bus garages to speak to drivers.

He said: “We’re going to get on every bus and ask the bus drivers.”

Nancy is 5ft 5ins tall, with a stocky build and fair bobbed blonde hair.

She was last seen wearing a loose brown cardigan, a floral blouse and dark trousers.

Anyone who has seen Nancy or knows her whereabouts is asked to call Ilford CID on 020 8345 2733.