Mackenzie Crook says family ‘determined’ to find missing sister-in-law Laurel Aldridge in Sussex

Mackenzie Crook said his family are “clutching at straws” a week after the disappearance of his sister-in-law but they remain “determined and driven” to find her.

Laurel Aldridge, 62, from Walberton, near Arundel in Sussex was last seen leaving her home on Tuesday morning wearing a turquoise fleece, a maroon tartan scarf and brown hat. She was carrying a grey puffer jacket.

Crook, known for roles in The Office, The Pirates Of The Caribbean and Worzel Gummidge, said Mrs Aldridge, his wife’s older sister, has missed a chemotherapy session for her cancer.

Laurel Aldridge has been missing since Tuesday, February 14. Sussex Police

The actor said her disappearance has been “agonising” for the family.

Crook said Mrs Aldridge’s disappearance could be linked to her ongoing cancer treatment.

“It’s a week now, it was this time last Tuesday that she left the house with nothing but the clothes she was wearing, no keys, money, phone, and she’s not been seen since,” he said.

“I’m here at Slindon cricket ground which was the last positive sighting we had of her and that was a week ago, since then, nothing.

“She was diagnosed with cancer last year and she missed her fifth chemo session last Tuesday and we think that’s what has triggered some sort of crisis in her and she’s gone off for a long walk somewhere… we are really clutching at straws now after a week.”

He said the family had gathered together and are driven to get Mrs Aldridge back.

“We’ve got a strong suspicion that she is in the local area but that’s just a hunch we’re going on. We can’t imagine that she has gone very far afield,” he said.

Sussex Police said information about her last known location would mean she would have had to cross busy roads including the A27 and A29.

Crook added the force had been “brilliant” in its efforts to find Mrs Aldridge, sending out helicopters during the day and night.

“We are in West Sussex on the South Downs, there are so many wooded areas, it’s quite overwhelming,” he said while appearing on Good Morning Britain from Slindon cricket ground in West Sussex.

“We have been combing the woodlands for a week now, we can only think she has hopefully taken shelter in a back garden, in a shed, in an outhouse, that’s what we’re hoping.

“We are asking people to check all of those places in their garden even if they’ve done it before to go back and check again.

“Now we are also asking people to check dashcam (footage) because there are specific roads the police think she may have crossed in that time.”