Catherine Shaw: Parents ‘desperately worried’ for British backpacker missing in Guatemala

Oxfordshire woman vanished from hotel, leaving behind passport and mobile phone

Ms Shaw had been travelling in Guatemala with a friend when she disappeared on Tuesday (Lucie Blackman Trust)

The parents of a 23-year-old British woman who has gone missing in Guatemala say they are “desperately worried”.

A search has begun for Catherine Shaw, from Witney, Oxfordshire, who had been travelling with a friend in the country for two weeks when she vanished.

Her friend woke up on Tuesday morning to find she had disappeared from the eco-hotel where they were staying.

Her belongings including her passport and mobile phone were left behind, according to the Lucie Blackman Trust, which supports British people in trouble abroad.

In a statement, her parents appealed for help in finding her.

“She has always been really good about keeping in touch and informing us of her whereabouts and activities,” they said.

“So this is unusual behaviour which gives us great concern for her safety. Please help us to find her.”

In a video released by the trust, her mother urged Ms Shaw to get in touch as they needed to know she was happy and well, while her father described his daughter as of “slim build, and about 5ft 7in tall”.

He added: “Your friends, your family are all really worried about you. Please come home, sweetheart.”

Ms Shaw and her friend had been staying in the San Pedro, Lake Atitlan area.

She had already been to Mexico and California during her trip to America after leaving Britain in September.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed they were supporting the family of a British woman and were “in contact with the local authorities as they search for her”.

The Lucie Blackman Trust's chief executive, Matthew Searle, stressed how the “first few days are vitally important” because those who may have seen something could still be in the area.

“We urge anyone who may have any information, no matter how small, to get in touch as soon as they can. They could hold the key to bringing Catherine home,” he added.

The trust said members of her family are travelling to San Pedro to join the search this weekend.

Paco Patchouli, believed to be the friend she was travelling with, posted on Facebook: “Help! Friends in Guatemala. My friend Catherine Shaw has been missing since last Monday in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. She has no belongings with her - money, passport or mobile phone.”