No sign of missing woman after river search

A river search for a woman swept away in severe flooding in Aberdeenshire will resume later in the year after no trace of her was found at the weekend.

Hazel Nairn, 71, disappeared at the River Don, near Monymusk, in November while out with her dog.

Relatives believe her body might still be caught somewhere along the river.

A specialist underwater team using sonar technology scoured part of the river on Saturday and Sunday, but without success.

Beneath the Surface, a voluntary underwater search and recovery dive team based in Lancashire, was joined by local divers for the operation.

The river continues for 31 miles from her last known location until it meets the sea, however the search was focussing on areas such as bends where a body might be more likely to be trapped.

Team leader Phil Jones said it would be difficult to locate Hazel due to the length of time that had passed since she disappeared.

They plan to be back to conduct another search before the end of the year.

Hazel's daughter Anneka thanked the Beneath the Surface team, and the local divers who volunteered.

She told BBC Scotland News: "My mum just has to wait a little longer to be found."

The body of Hazel's dog was found in the days after she went missing.