Police Search The River For Missing Sonica

23 January 2013, 15:29 | Updated: 23 January 2013, 16:30

Police have been searching Bedford river for missing 35 year old Sonica Hans.

A team of officers had to break through the ice covering the river in Priory Park as they went out on a boat.

Sonica was last seen on Boxing Day when she left her sisters house to go for a walk

She was then seen on CCTV walking along the Embankment towards Priory Park.

Sargent Gavin Conder is head of the missing persons unit at Bedfordshire Police:

"There is a concern that she may have come the this area (Priory Park) and she may have come to some harm either accidentally or intentionally"

Sargent Paul Lowe is leading the search:

"We're making sure that she hasn't fallen into the water and isn't visibly obvious on it, the trouble is there is so much water and you can't walk along all of it so the only way we can access it on by boat"

Sonica's sister Manisha Singh says this is a tough time for her and her family:

"Its really difficult, we are really worried about my sister I don't know where she has gone and we just pray to God she is safe"

The search will continue on foot over the weekend as a group of volunteers search the countryside.