CONCERN is growing for a mother-of-two who went missing after failing to appear before Blackburn magistrates in connection with a £70,000 theft from her employer.

Mary Vera Fishwick, 39, of Gardeners Cottage, Whalley Abbey, was due to appear in court for committal proceedings for the alleged theft from Optical Direct between 1998 and 2001.

Police say she has been missing for a week and they are growing concerned for her whereabouts after exhausting a number of leads.

Police have not issued a warrant for her arrest and Sgt Mark Sharples of Clitheroe Police said: "Mary's family are all very worried about her. The police are making detailed enquiries about Mary's whereabouts.

"If anybody knows where she may be we are urging her to contact us or her family just to let them know she is safe and well."

Mary was last seen on Thursday morning by her husband Roy, who works as a gardener at Whalley Abbey.

Roy said that he was "too upset to speak about Mary".

She is described as being stocky, with brown eyes, dark brown hair, wearing light blue jeans, a gold necklace, three gold rings on her left hand and a silver watch. She also has a tattoo of a bird on her right shoulder.

She is thought to be driving a green Ford Escort with the registration number N346 WNE.

Police say her children, Victoria, 11, and Christopher, nine, are missing their mother very much.

Anybody with any information should contact Clitheroe Police on 01200 458734.