Search for missing runner Jenny Hall, 23, enters fourth...

Specialist drones have been deployed as the search for missing runner Jenny Hall entered a fourth day today. Jenny, 23, a long-distance runner, was last seen leaving her home in Tow Law, County Durham, shortly after 3pm on Tuesday. Her car, a red Ford Focus, was found on Wednesday parked on the B6278, near remote moorland between Eggleston and Stanhope.

Image Credit: Metro [METRO GRAPHICS Jenny Hall Map]

Footage of the vehicle in a lay-by shows a large expanse of moorland, demonstrating how remote and isolated the area is. A major search effort involving police officers and mountain rescue teams has been focused on Hamsterley Forest and the surrounding areas, where there are a number of running trails.

Image Credit: Metro [Hamsterley Forest, County Durham, UK - Friday 21st February 2025: Police searching for missing women Jenny Hall moves to Hamsterley Forest and enters its 3rd day. Both police search teams and mountain rescue search teams search the area. Jenny, 23, was last seen on February 18th around 3pm after leaving her home in Tow Law. **STANDARD USAGE FEES APPLY**]

John Little, from the Teesside and Weardale Mountain Rescue and is helping co-ordinate the search, said the hunt for Jenny has proved a ‘massive task’. Speaking to Sky News, he said: ‘It’s a very wild area, and she could be almost anywhere within it.’.

He said seven drones have been deployed to help scour the vast wildland, with 60 mountain rescue volunteers from 10 different teams spread out combing the area. While at first glance the land appears flat and relatively easy to navigate, Mr Little said the terrain is ‘very difficult terrain to cover and search’.

Image Credit: Metro [Dated: 21/02/2025 Search and Rescue Teams hunt for missing 23 year old runner Jenny Hall, who has not been heard from since leaving her home in Tow Law on Tuesday afternoon, with her car left parked on the B6278, between Eggleston and Stanhope in County Durham. Dashcam footage shows the remoteness of Jenny's last known location, with Jenny's red Ford Focus seen parked in a lay-by surrounded by empty moorland just one hour after the 23-year-old left her home in Tow Law, County Durham, shortly after 3pm on Tuesday (FEB 18). See story North News]

‘It doesn’t look too bad and you could just gamble across it,’ he said. ‘But you go a bit further afield, and suddenly you get deep groughs you can fall into. ‘Very very soft peat – you can go in up to your waist before you know what’s happened, thigh-deep heather. Very, very slow going, very hard work.’.

Image Credit: Metro [Dated: 20/02/2025 Search and Rescue Teams search the moors either side of the B6278, between Eggleston and Stanhope in County Durham, in the hunt for missing 23 year old runner Jenny Hall, who has not been heard from since leaving her home in Tow Law on Tuesday afternoon. See story North News]

A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said: ‘Expert teams with specialist equipment will continue their search for missing woman Jenny Hall today. ‘Officers, assisted by highly-experienced search and mountain rescue teams, will be working in Hamsterley Forest and the surrounding areas for anything that could help locate the 23-year-old.

‘Specialist drones are also being used in the methodical search which is the latest tool being adopted in the intensive operation. ‘We want to thank the public for their ongoing support and whilst we appreciate the offer of volunteers, we would ask that people do not join the search themselves as this could disturb the ongoing work and potentially distract expert sniffer dogs.’.

Police said on Friday that searchers have faced ‘challenging weather conditions and terrain’. Digital intelligence officers have checked Jenny’s mobile phone, smartwatch and running apps, but have found no leads. Chief Inspector Dean Haythornthwaite added: ‘It’s day four now in the search for Jenny Hall.

‘We have officers and colleagues from mountain rescue out in Hamsterley Forest today carrying out that search activity. ‘I just want to say a huge thank you first of all to all the members of the public who have contacted us with information. We really do appreciate your help and support in this.

‘I am aware that we are going to have families down in Hamsterley Forest today enjoying the facilities and my ask would just be this – if we can just allow those officers the space to carry out their search and try not to disrupt that search area if you do see people out and about involved in that activity.

‘And if you do have any information please do give us a call.’. Jenny is described as being white, 6ft tall with dark brown hair, which may have been tied in a ponytail. She was last seen wearing a blue John Deere hoodie, dark jogging bottoms, and may have been carrying a green jacket.

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